


Calling For Rain

by LucyArgentum



Series: Soul Of A Lion [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blood and Injury, Cor adopted Iris and you can't tell me otherwise, Cor is such a dad, Gladnis is a side pairing, Glaives of Insomnia, More characters as they appear, Prompto gets hurt in the beginning but it gets better, Trigger Warning: Choking (Chapter 3), no beta we die like men, there are some small OCs in here for story purposes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-11-12 22:04:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11170995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucyArgentum/pseuds/LucyArgentum
Summary: Ten years in darkness almost felt like an eon. Especially Prompto was doing bad in the beginning. But over the years he finally started to accept who he truly was and even found a family along the way, although it was in a different way than he'd always imagined.(How do you summary haha, also this is my first fic on here so please be nice? Basically Prompto is struggling and a few different people help him to get back on track :) )





	1. Relict

The howling of the daemons was close now and Cor was on alert.  
He didn't like leaving his car behind and continuing his way on foot, but better that than having his car damaged and being stuck out here.  
He followed the deep growls to an old abandoned car park that was dimly lit by two still intact street lamps.  
He spotted the creatures right in front of a white caravan. One of them threw it's heavy body against it, almost making it fall over in the process.  
The beasts were walking on four legs and looked wolf-like and after a moment Cor recognized the species.  
They weren't too strong but could be dangerous when they hunted in packs. This was most likely one, he counted six of them but none had taken notice of him yet.  
A second beast crashed against the caravan and was answered with gunshots that echoed through the empty car park.  
Cor didn't lose any more time at that, un-sheating his katana and making his was over to the pack.  
The first one to notice him growled deeply and took off in his direction. It was easy for Cor to take it out though because as scary as these monsters could look, they were predictable as hell and he dealt with the first one in two precise hits.  
The dark body hit the ground, making two other pack members turn around at the sound, the rest was still trying to break into the caravan. More gunshots could be heard as Cor fought off the two monsters at the same time.  
One of them was faster than usual and the marshal knew he had to be careful or else he wouldn't walk away unwounded.  
A third beast almost caught him off guard and Cor drew aside just in time to avoid getting seriously hurt. He only felt claws scratching at the side of his face.  
He cursed under his breath and started a series of counter attacks and took the monsters down one by one.  
The last two weren't hard to beat. The first one didn't notice him because it was too occupied ravaging the caravan. The creature that was left didn't put up much of a fight but as soon as it was dead Cor needed a moment to catch his breath.  
He looked around but there were no other daemons in sight.  
Suddenly Cor realized he hadn't heard another gunshot in a while, it was deadly silent.  
He quickly entered the caravan, carefully making his was through the destroyed, chaotic space.  
“Prompto?”, he called quietly and listened for an answer that didn't come.  
He fought back the fear rising in his heart and took a couple steps forward. Soon he caught a glimpse of blond hair close to the floor, next to the door leading to the small sleeping space.  
“Prompto!”  
He could see the boy now. He was sprawled out on the floor, a heavy looking shelf on top of him, keeping him pinned to the spot. The blond didn't move and as Cor took a closer look, he saw that Prompto was bleeding somewhere from his head. His gun was laying a few inches away, out of his reach.  
More quiet cursing was heard as Cor made his way over and worked on getting the shelf off of the younger one's body. It took a bit of effort, but Cor managed to free him and immediately checked for his pulse and breathing.  
He let out a relieved sigh when he felt Prompto's pulse against his fingers, although it was a bit weaker than it normally would have been.  
Cor wasn't sure if Prompto had any broken bones but he made sure his neck wasn't hurt before he knelt beside him.  
Time to get him out of here.  
Before he made a move, he realized that Prompto was clutching something close to his chest. Cor was confused at first but then he remembered Ignis saying something about Prompto searching for something he had lost.  
Was that it?  
Cor carefully took the box from the blonde's grip and put it in one of his inside jacket pockets, before lifting up the boy carefully to not hurt him any more. The wound on his head wasn't too bad from what he'd seen, he had probably hit his head on the door frame when the shelf came crushing down.  
Cor held him close to his chest and prayed that no more daemons would attack them on the way to his car. 

When Prompto woke up he didn't know where he were.  
He didn't know anything in the first moment, whether how he came here nor where he'd been before.  
What he did notice was the dull, throbbing pain from somewhere on his head.  
The next thing was the soft fabric he was lying on.  
A bed?  
He blinked a couple of times but it wasn't really helping with his blurred vision. Prompto repressed a groan and tried to sit up.  
His body felt sore everywhere, Prompto grit his teeth to keep himself from making any noise.  
The room he was in was decently lit and it did look like a small cabin of some sort.  
His assumption from before turned out to be correct: he was indeed sitting on a bed. He ran his fingers over the white fabric and tried to remember what had happened before he woke up here.  
He couldn't really concentrate though because he noticed another painful sensation in his left arm and when he looked at it, he was shocked to see a long cut from the crook of his arm almost all the way to his wrist. Blood was oozing out at a slow pace, but there was a towel beside him dyed red that indicated he'd lost quite a bit of blood.  
Prompto instantly felt dizzy again at the sight, but he knew he had to do something about it.  
He looked around the room, surprised to spot all sorts of first aid stuff on a small table nearby. He didn't waste any time thinking about how it got there and reached over to grab everything he needed.  
When he accidently knocked the half empty kit off the table, he was confused for a moment. He looked at his bloody hand, realizing only then that he was shaking like crazy. “What the hell do you think you're doing?!”  
Prompto flinched so violently at the words his body felt sore all over again and he let out a small whimper. Looking up with wide eyes he spotted a man he hadn't seen in months. “Cor...”, he breathed.  
He hadn't hear him entering the room, the loud voice had scared him.  
Cor didn't answer as he stepped closer and put something on the table he'd been carrying. “Lay back”, he instructed but there was some sort of angry tone in his voice that Prompto didn't like.  
The younger one obeyed and his dizziness ebbed away for some part, when he leaned into a pillow. He felt weird though and when he reached up to touch his head, he felt a bandage wrapped around it. Seems that he was more wounded than he'd thought.  
Cor carefully grabbed his injured arm and began to wash off the blood with a warm cloth. Prompto thought about whether he should say something to break the unsettling silence but he didn't dare.  
He didn't even dare to look at the older man because he sensed that Cor was mad at him and he wasn't sure he wanted to know the reason why.  
So he tried to remember what had happened.  
All he could recall was being trapped somewhere and firing his gun as he was being attacked. He guessed that he'd passed out after that and realized that Cor must have saved him.  
Prompto looked up at the marshal, who'd already cleaned the wound and was now starting to stitch it up.  
“You... you saved me, right?”, he asked quietly. “Thank you.”  
Piercing blue and grey eyes met his for a second, before concentrating on the stitches again.  
There was another silence after Prompto's words, one he liked much less than the one before. The unsettling feeling in his stomach grew with every passing heartbeat. Cor was nearly finished when Prompto burst out with another question.  
“Why won't you say anything?” It came out louder than he wanted it to and he desperately tried to not look away when Cor's cold gaze met his once again.  
It was only now that Prompto noticed scratches on Cor's cheek, probably caused by claws or talons.  
“And what do you want me to say?”, Cor finally answered, his voice tense. “It was big luck for you I found you, you know that? Ignis recently talked to me about you and that you wanted to look for something you've lost. You promised him to take at least two experienced hunters with you once you knew where to look. Instead you ran off alone and wouldn't be here right know if Cindy hadn't told me about where you went just in time. You knew it was wrong and yet you did it, you're old enough to know better. I know it's a hard time for you but next time you do something like this you won't make it out alive.” Prompto looked away and felt tears starting to well in his eyes.  
“I know it was a mistake”, he whispered. “But... b-but I needed the-”  
He shot up suddenly, his blue eyes filled with panic.  
“Hey, stay still, for the love of-”  
“The box! Where is it?!”, Prompto almost screamed at the marshal, the first tear running down his cheek in the process. “Where is it?! Please don't tell me-”  
Prompto couldn't continue his sentence as he remembered why he went back to that caravan, the memories flooding his mind all at once.  
“Hey, calm down.”  
Cor's voice was a lot softer now, almost soothing and when Prompto managed to look back at him, he instantly snatched the metal box from Cor's hands and held it close to his chest. “Thank you”, he managed to choke out, before he began to sob.  
Cor didn't know what to do in this moment and so he waited until the younger one calmed down a bit before he finished stitching him up and putting away the first aid kit supplies. He brought the kit back to the bathroom and when he returned Prompto had already curled up on the bed, never letting go of the small box in his hands.  
He had stopped sobbing but it was clear that he was worn out and needed some rest.  
Cor's gaze softened a bit as he walked over to him, pulling at the blanket under Prompto until he could put it over the blond's slightly shivering body.  
“Get some sleep, kid”, he said, “I'll wake you up in the morning.”  
Prompto only made a small noise before he fell asleep a moment later. 

 

A couple hours later Prompto was startled awake by someone quietly calling his name and patting his shoulder. He made a sleepy noise, before opening his eyes and turning to see who had interrupted his sleep.  
“Finally”, Cor said and straightened himself. “I've been trying to wake you up for a good while now. I made us some breakfast. Get up.” With that he was out the room, leaving Prompto to get out of bed.  
The blond yawned before sitting up. The bed was so warm and comfy he seriously considered going back to sleep but Cor probably wouldn't approve of that.  
Besides he'd made them breakfast and Prompto realized how hungry he was.  
And to be honest, he should explain why he risked so much just to get an old box from his childhood.  
He was still holding on to the box in one of his hands and he looked at it for a long time, before he got up and made his way to the small kitchen next door.  
Cor looked up when he entered the room and then returned his attention to the coffee pot in front of him.  
Prompto was surprised at the amount of food on the table. It wasn't like a full sized breakfast like back in the day but it was more than they all were used to at that time.  
He took a seat at the round table just as Cor placed a small cup of coffee before him. “Thanks”, he said, taking a sip and placing the cup back down.  
Cor sat down across of him and picked something he liked from the table.  
Prompto placed the box beside his plate and was about to take some food for himself when he paused for a moment. Shouldn't he explain why he ran off first? After all Cor deserved to know why he went after such a seemingly unimportant item. For a long moment he searched for the right words to start with, before he decided to just get over with it quickly.  
“I got it from Luna”, he said. Cor shot him a questioning look but didn't say anything and waited for Prompto to explain.  
Prompto took a shaky breath before opening the metal lid. The letter was still there and it still smelt faintly of sylleblossoms. Prompto took it in his hands carefully, as if he was afraid it could fall apart any moment.  
“It's a letter I got from Lady Lunafreya”, he repeated. “It was back in middle school, I found one of her dogs. The poor girl was injured, so I took her home and took care of her but shortly after she just disappeared and I couldn't find her. A couple days later there was this letter in the mailbox.”  
He stopped for a moment, thinking back to the moment he opened it.  
“She thanked me a-and... said I could be a great friend to Noct and that he could use a friend like me and that is why... why I approached him in the first place.”  
A short silence followed as Prompto thought about where to continue but Cor beat him to it.  
“I see. And you wanted to get it back because it reminds you of how all this began.”  
Cor was right but it was more than that, more than Prompto could ever explain.  
If he hadn't found Pryna that day, he would most certainly be dead by now. He would have never befriended Noctis, would have never met Gladio and Ignis. And he sure as hell wouldn't have survived the fall of Insomnia.  
“It's been almost a year since he disappeared into the crystal and I know we all miss him. But it's hard to keep going when we don't know if he's coming back.”  
“He will be coming back.”  
Cor said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
“King Noctis would never abandon us. He might need some time, but he'll be back. All we have to do is keep going until this happens.”  
Prompto felt a bit consoled at Cor's words but still he felt tears rising in his eyes and he put the letter away to wipe at his eyes.  
“Please don't b-be angry with me anymore, okay?”, he asked quietly, still not looking up. Cor sighed.  
“I'm not angry with you”, he answered truthfully. “I was just worried.”  
Prompto lifted his head to look at the marshal who held his gaze for a moment before taking another sip of his coffee.  
“And now eat something before everything's cold.”


	2. Late Night Encounter

Prompto believed it was sometime in the late evening when he trespassed the door sill of the Leville.   
He'd departed from his fellow hunters in the parking lot, since one of them had a small apartment they could go to. They had even asked Prompto to come with them, but he had politely declined and explained that he'd find some room in the hotel. 

But as he was entering now, his hopes of sleeping in a bed that night subsided.   
An unusual lot of people roamed the hallway at this late hour and wondering why Prompto walked over to the reception. Three staff members were arguing with some of the visitors but before he could understand what they were discussing, one of the staff members, a young girl called Kira, spotted him and walked over.   
“What's all this about?”, Prompto asked, gesturing the the crowd behind him.   
“Refugees from some far away city”, she sighed. “It's a miracle they made it this far and now they need a place to sleep of course. Thing is we already had very few rooms left and they're not enough for all them.” 

Prompto frowned for a second.   
“Then my chances of staying here aren't very high, are they?”   
It was more of a statement than a question.   
Kira looked at him with a pitiful expression.   
“I'm sorry, Prom. Not today.”   
The blond sighed heavily but smiled at her nonetheless.   
“Don't worry, I'll find something”, he answered, trying to sound confident. In reality he didn't have a plan of what to do now.   
“Do you happen to know where Ignis, Gladio and Iris are?”, he asked Kira. If one of them was here, they would let him stay with them for sure.

Kira thought for a moment, before getting a small book from the table nearby and flicking through some pages.   
“None of them are here either. Gladiolus and Ignis are on the way to Hammerhead. At least that's what I've heard. Don't know where Iris is though, sorry again.”   
Prompto actually had to force the smile this time. Gladio and Ignis were too far away to meet up with and Iris had probably headed out for a hunt. So there was no way he could stay with her either. 

“Don't be sorry”, he replied anyway. “If I can't find anything, I'll think of something.”   
He tried to smile a bit brighter but knew he must look terrible.   
His body ached from the long hunt and he was certain he'd pulled a muscle I his right leg. There was dirt all over him and his hair was a mess. He needed some rest as soon as possible. 

Prompto thanked Kira again and was about to walk away, when she called him back.   
“Listen, I know it might not be much, but you can take one of the armchairs in the lobby if you want to. It's definitely better than sleeping outside or not sleeping at all.”   
Prompto considered it for a moment and while he was certain that he'd only have extra back pain in the morning, it was better than his other options.   
“Thank you”, he repeated warmly and grabbed his stuff, before heading over to the more quiet part of the lobby.   
He eyed the red armchair sceptically and doubted he'd find a comfortable position. But as soon as he curled up on the red leather and rested his head against his jacket serving as a pillow, sleep came over him quickly.

 

~

 

“Prompto?”   
The blond's eyes shot open when he heard someone calling him from nearby.   
He looked up and his eyes landed on a familiar face.   
“Cor, what are you doing here?”, was the first thing he asked.   
He yawned and rubbed at his eyes for a second. 

“I actually wanted to get some fresh air”, Cor admitted. “But then I saw you. When did you arrive?”   
“Just a couple hours ago”, Prompto replied, nuzzling his face into his jacket. “Couldn't get a room though because of the refugee group that came today. Kira was so kind to let me at least stay here. All the others are out of town and I don't know anyone in this town good enough to be staying with them.”   
“Didn't they tell you I was here?”, Cor asked.   
“Suppose they don't know we know each other.” He shrugged.   
Cor just huffed, eyeing the blond up for a moment. 

“You look terrible, Prompto. You can come back to my room, if you want to. Take a shower and get some sleep, you look like you need it.”   
Prompto was almost offended at the marshal's words but didn't think twice about the offer and got up.   
“Thank you, seriously!”, he said, grabbing his bag and following the marshal who lead the way. “I was fearing horrible back and neck pain in the morning.”   
Cor just waved him off.   
“It's nothing”, he assured. “We should all help each other.”   
They made their way upstairs and down the hallway to the very last room. Prompto was surprised to see it was almost as big as the rooms he'd previously shared with the others, but this was only a two bed room. 

“Wow”, he said, looking around as he stepped in. “How come you have the best room in the entire building?”   
“Iris managed that for me, actually”, the older one admitted, making his way to the small kitchen area. “I don't know how she convinced the staff, but I'm actually glad she did. Whenever I'm in Lestallum, this room is mine.”   
Prompto had many more questions but a long yawn kept him from asking them.   
“Get a shower”, Cor suggested. “You hungry?”   
“Nah, not really”, Prompto answered. “Just wanna sleep for a week or two.”   
The older one actually smiled at that for a moment. 

“Bathroom's over there”, he said, pointing in the direction. Prompto thanked him, grabbed some fresh clothes from his bag and disappeared into the bathroom.   
The hot shower felt incredible and he would have loved to just stand there for hours and relax. But he was also still tired and as soon as he was dressed in his sleeping clothes he left the bathroom.   
The hot water had relaxed his sore muscles a bit although the dull pain in his right leg was still present.   
“Really can't thank you enough, marshal”, Prompto said and smiled at him, then heading over to the bed. “The shower was heaven on earth.”   
“Hey kid, wait, you're limping”, Cor answered as he watched the younger one walking through the kitchen space.   
“What happened?” 

Prompto looked down at his leg. It didn't feel to bad but he realized now that it was a bit swollen near his ankle.   
“Think I pulled a muscle during the hunt, it's nothing serious, really.”   
“Are you sure? It looks painful.”   
“It isn't too bad”, Prompto shrugged. “Besides I'm too tired to take a look at it now. I'll deal with it tomorrow.”   
“That's not a good idea. You should deal with it now before it gets worse”, Cor insisted. Prompto sighed but he knew Cor wouldn't let him rest until he'd taken care of this.   
“Fine”, he agreed and sat down at the kitchen table to take a closer look at his leg. 

He carefully touched to red area that was more swollen than he'd noticed. The touch itself wasn't too bad but as soon as he put pressure on it he couldn't help but hiss at the pain.   
“See. Told you it wasn't nothing.”   
Cor came closer and looked at it too.   
“May I?”, he asked. Prompto nodded.   
Cor treated him with practised hands, asking him where it hurt the most and tried to locate the exact spot where he was hurt. Prompto felt like the marshal only made it worse and he screwed his eyes shut, trying to focus on something different than the pain. 

The younger one suddenly yelped when Cor's fingers pressed against the worst spot. He bit down on his lower lip when Cor did it again and was glad as he let go of him afterwards. “This isn't a pulled muscle. Seems like you fractured the bone here”, came his diagnosis and Prompto blinked at him owlishly, before looking down at his leg.   
“Really?”, he asked a bit confused. “How come I didn't realize it?”  
Prompto missed the knowing look Cor shot him while he still stared at his injured leg. 

“I don't know, but you shouldn't put pressure on it for a while. And we should probably bandage that up. I have a paste made from different herbs that'll help with the pain and speed up the healing.”   
“You don't have a spare potion for me, do you?”, Prompto asked.   
“No, I'm sorry. They've become quite rare and we should be careful when to use one. I know it would be easier that way, but we'll have to relay on the old methods. But it will heal quickly, I promise” Prompto fell silent after that, watching Cor as he got everything he needed and started working on his leg.   
“How come you know how to treat something like this?”, he eventually asked to distract himself from the pain. 

“I've walked away from battles with more wounds than you can count”, Cor said, still concentrated on his task.   
“I'd always let the serious or big ones be mended by our healers, but I just didn't want to go to them when it was something I could deal with myself. And so I started to learn a lot of things.”   
He'd applied a good amount of the paste on the swollen area and started to bandage it up.   
“Well, I guess I should thank you for that”, Prompto answered a bit more relax, now that the medicine was starting to show effect.   
“Don't mention it”, Cor just said.

"Why did you even want to go and get some fresh air? It's the middle of the night. Is something troubling you?", Prompto asked, remembering Cor's words from before.  
Cor hadn't expected Prompto to ask such a direct question but he guessed he owed him an answer.  
"I haven't heard anything from Iris yet and it is her first time leading her own group of hunters. I know she'll do a good job but..."  
"You're worried anyway", Prompto concluded but smiled. "It's only natural."  
He knew the marshal had trained Iris since the day they first arrived at Lestallum after Insomnia's fall. For a moment he thought it was funny seeing Cor like a nervous father when he'd only ever been a strong soldier to them.  
But then he realized how close he and Iris must have gotten for Cor to act that way.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine", Prompto said and really meant it. "I bet she'll text you any minute."  
Right after he said that Cor's phone made a small noise, informing him that he had a new message.  
The marshal quickly read it over and typed a short answer while sighing in relief.  
"She and her team are fine", he informed Prompto. "None of them are hurt."  
"Told you so", the younger one answered and leaned back in his chair. 

Prompto waited for Cor to finish up, before he got up slowly, jumping around weirdly on his good leg.   
Cor wordlessly offered his arm and with his help the blond made it to the bed just fine.   
“Thanks, marshal”, he said as he sat down on the mattress.   
“Stop thanking me, Prompto”, the older one replied. “And stop calling me marshal. It's Cor. Understood?”   
Prompto was surprised at these words but he nodded.   
“Alright, Cor”, he added and laid down. He nestled into the big pillow and pulled the blanket up to his chin.   
“Good night”, he mumbled, eyes already closed.   
“Good night”, Cor repeated and quietly left the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2, yay!  
> I wanted to show Cor's softer side in this but at the same time I was afraid it'd be too ooc, but I think I did okay haha :)  
> And Cor practically adopted Iris and no one can tell me otherwise, we'll get to see more of their relationship soon, I promise! :)  
> Kudos, comments & advice are always welcome! <3


	3. Breath

As soon as they arrived at Old Lestallum Cor and Gladio looked around for the other group, but no one seemed to be there.   
“Is Dave's group still not here?”, Gladio asked one of the hunters who was on guard duty. The woman shook her head.   
“We haven't seen them yet”, she answered. 

Gladio gritted his teeth and looked into the distance. He had a bad feeling that something had gone wrong. Dave's group should have been in Old Lestallum before them.   
The had built two groups for this hunt, because there had been sightings of a Behemoth Tyrant in the area.   
The first group was lead by Cor. The marshal was accompanied by Gladio and a couple of strong Glaives. 

Under different conditions they probably would have been able to take on the beast by themselves, but some other kinds of daemons were constantly at the Behemoth's side, so they decided to form a second group.   
Cor's team would focus on the Behemoth while the other group, consisting of Ignis, Dave, Prompto, Iris and some experienced hunters, concentrated on keeping the daemons away from them.   
The fight had gone well and after a while Dave's group had joined them. 

Unfortunately they were interrupted by some Iron Giants that had spawned not far away from the battle and they'd quickly decided that Cor's group would lure them away so Dave and the others could finish off the Behemoth, seen as it was very weak at that point.   
The fight with the Iron Giants had been tough and Gladio was more exhausted than he'd been in a long time but the worry kept him from sitting down and waiting. 

He paced up and down the street, looking into the woods, his anxiety rising with every passing second.   
“Gladiolus.”   
The marshal's deep voice made him turn around. Cor looked him in he eyes for a moment before he spoke again.   
“Try to calm down. They've probably just encountered some daemons on their way back. They're alright.”   
Gladio huffed.   
“You saying that to calm me or yourself?”, he asked, not expecting an answer. “I know you're worried too.” 

Gladio wouldn't have dared to speak to the marshal like that only a couple of years ago. But he knew he was right. Cor had trained his little sister for a long time and Gladio knew how fond he'd grown of Prompto in the past months.   
To Gladio's surprise Cor sighed quietly.   
“You're right”, he admitted. “But it doesn't help anyone if you're running up and down the street like that. It makes them nervous too. I know you don't like it, but we've just gotta wait.”   
Gladio just nodded at his words but tried to calm himself a bit. It didn't work too well but at least he'd stopped pacing. 

The silence was unsettling. Gladio could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he scanned the area for any activity.   
Endless minutes passed until Gladio could make out quiet footsteps that quickly came closer.   
The first one he saw was Dave. Their eyes met as Gladio started walking in his direction.   
“Get Monica”, the hunter shouted. “Now.”   
Gladio was about to go and look for her, but Cor said “I'll go” and was out of sight. 

“What happened?”, Gladio asked, fear evident in his voice. Someone was definitely hurt, that's why Dave had asked for Monica.   
The shield scanned the group as he came closer.   
He recognized Ignis first who was just behind Dave, but the advisor seemed okay and Gladio repressed a relieved sigh. Another hunter who was right at Ignis' side carried someone in his arms and Gladio feared the worst.   
As they stepped into the light of the street lamps he recognized that someone and his heart stopped for a moment.   
"Iris!"  
Gladio sprinted over to them in record time. 

“Iris! Iris, can you hear me?”   
Gladio looked down at her, but his sister had her eyes closed and was obviously in pain. Half her face was covered in blood and she only made a weak noise at her brother's words. He faintly heard Cor calling for the hunter who carried Iris and there was nothing he wanted to do more than follow them but it was Ignis who held him back.

“Don't do this to yourself”, he said, looking into Gladio's eyes. “We've taken a look at her wounds already. They are deep but not deadly and they seem worse than they truly are. She will be alright.”   
Gladio wanted to protest and for a brief moment he considered just ignoring his friend's words and go anyway. But he also knew that Ignis would never lie to him and if he said Iris was gonna be fine, she would be.   
He took a shaky breath and nodded once.   
“Alright”, he agreed.  
His fear would probably only be growing if he was at Iris' side now.   
He knew she was a strong young woman but she also was his sister. He would always be worried about her when something like this happened. 

Ignis gave his shoulder a light squeeze.   
“Wait here, I'll be right back”, he said and went after the others.   
The rest of the group passed him, some shot him sympathetic looks. Gladio didn't react to any of them.   
There was a short silence after the hunters were out of hearing range but only a moment later Gladio could hear footsteps behind him again.   
Afraid it could be a straying daemon that follow the group he spun around, only to see Prompto who had been trailing behind his group for a good while now.   
He didn't look up, didn't look at Gladio and only focused on his steps.   
One after another.   
Gladio immediately walked over to him, even more worried than before. Prompto looked like he'd seen a ghost. 

“Prom? Are you alright?”   
He stood in front of his friend to keep him from going further and Prompto stopped but he still didn't look up.   
“Prompto? Come on, say something.”   
Gladio reached out to touch his arm but pulled back instantly when he felt warm blood on the other's skin. It dripped from a couple small but deep wounds that looked like teeth marks.   
“Fuck, Prom, you're hurt”, he said with barely concealed worry in his voice. “You have to get it treated.” 

The blond still didn't move but he managed to look up and into Gladio's eyes.   
“It's my fault Iris got hurt.”   
Gladio couldn't make sense of his words at first.   
“Prom, don't say that, I'm sure-”   
“But it's the truth!” Prompto sounded so desperate Gladio almost flinched at the words. “I'd lost my focus for a moment and before I could do something a daemon had sunk it's teeth into my arm! I'd lost my gun and was being held down and there was another daemon making it's way over. A-And Iris came to help me but she didn't see the other daemon and it attacked her and-”   
Prompto didn't finish the sentence, he was too caught up in the memories of the horrible moment. 

Gladio looked down at his friend. He wanted to reassure him that it hadn't been his fault. All of them were worn out and stuff like that happened from time to time.   
But then he was angry all of a sudden. They couldn't afford for anyone to get hurt, whether it'd be Iris or someone else. The fact that his sister got hurt only made it worse because she was one of the few people Gladio really cared about. Prompto should have been more focused on what he was doing. Their task couldn't have been that hard compared to the fight with the Behemoth Tyrant and the Iron Giants. 

Prompto glanced up at him after a couple of heartbeats, scared, because Gladio stared at him with dark eyes.   
“Then do a better job next time”, the shield growled. “I thought you knew how to fight by now. Guess I was mistaken.”   
Gladio's words hurt and Prompto couldn't help but feel his eyes starting to water at them. The shield noticed and just huffed.   
“Don't you dare start crying now, you hear me? You've done enough today already.”   
This time Prompto flinched at the shield's words and Gladio didn't know why but he just became angrier as he saw his reaction. He took a couple of threatening steps in Prompto's direction, the younger one stumbled backwards. 

“Pull yourself together! This is my sister who got hurt, you know what that feels like?!”   
In this moment Gladio blamed Prompto for what had happened and the thought that it could have been far worse mixed with his fear made him see red.   
Afterwards he didn't remember throwing the punch. He just remembered Prompto stumbling backwards, touching the small cut on his cheek in shock and looking up at him in horror, his blue eyes wider than ever before. 

He then started to apologize quietly, repeating the same words over and over again but Gladio didn't want to hear it.   
It wouldn't undo what had happened.   
“Shut up!”, he demanded but Prompto only flinched again and kept saying that he was sorry.   
Gladio couldn't take it any more.   
“I said shut up!” 

He grabbed the smaller one and held him against a wall by his throat, so high his feet weren't touching the ground any more. Prompto made a horrible choking noise and instantly panicked. He desperately tried to loosen Gladio's vice grip around his throat, but Gladio wouldn't let go.   
“Gladi-... s-stop, I c-can't...”  
Prompto tried to speak, wanted to tell the other one to let go, to tell him he couldn't breathe but Gladio was blind and deaf to his struggles.   
“I really hope Iris doesn't get some permanent damage from this”, he growled lowly as the younger one squirmed and desperately tried to escape.   
“Otherwise this will end bad for you.” 

Prompto was still trying to get free but the words Gladio had just said made him freeze for a moment.   
Someone had said that to him before.   
And as he looked back at Gladio all he could see was Ardyn.   
He wanted to scream but only ended up choking again as panic completely overcame him and with the little strength he had left he started a last attempt at getting free.   
His head was swimming and his vision had began to blur as his struggles were getting weaker each second.   
Prompto's blue eyes rolled back as he wasn't able to gasp for air anymore.   
It all happened so fast.  
His body gave up resistance. 

“Gladiolus.”   
The disbelief and disappointment in Cor's voice brought the shield back to reality.   
He looked over his shoulder and saw the marshal standing there, Ignis beside him.   
Then his eyes wandered back to Prompto who had stopped struggling against him.   
Realizing what he'd done he instantly let go and Prompto's body hit the ground. 

Cor was at Prompto's side in no time.   
He carefully reached out and let his hand rest on Prompto's shoulder.   
“Prom, can you hear me?”, he asked, concern evident in his voice. The younger one coughed weakly a couple of times, his eyes staring into nothing. He took quick and shallow breaths and didn't answer Cor's question. 

Before Gladio could attempt some kind of apology Cor turned to Ignis.   
“Get him away from here.”   
Ignis only nodded and luckily Gladio didn't protest when the advisor pulled him away from their friend.   
Cor turned his attention back to Prompto who still hadn't moved. He wasn't sure whether the boy was in shock or hallucinating or both, because he tried to say something that Cor couldn't understand. But he knew they'd have to treat him anyway. 

“I'm gonna get you to Monica alright?”, Cor said soothingly and came closer. “Try to hold on to me, okay?”   
He carefully lifted Prompto up, not surprised when he didn't react but it made him worry all the more.   
Cor hurried back to the room his old friend had treated Iris in. He called for her and luckily Monica didn't take long to open the door.   
“Hey, I -”   
She didn't finish the sentence, instead looked at the blond for several seconds before managing a “What happened?”   
“He lost quite some blood from a bite and then Gladiolus choked him until he was barely conscious.”

Cor's words were quiet so he wouldn't disturb Iris and he didn't want her to know just yet anyway.  
Monica looked at him like he'd grown a second head.   
“Don't ask. I don't know what's gotten into him”, he added and stepped inside.   
He carefully lowered Prompto on the free mattress and stepped back so Monica could treat him. She was better at this stuff than him and she had Cor's unconditional trust. In the meantime Cor went over to Iris and sat beside her bed on a chair. 

She must've heard him because she opened her dark eyes a bit and turned her head in his direction.   
“Sorry, I didn't wanna wake you”, he apologized. “How are you feeling?”   
“A bit beaten up”, Iris admitted, rubbing her temple as if she had a headache. “But I'll be okay.”   
“Good.”   
There was a short silence, only faint noises from the other side of the room were heard.   
“There's blood on your shirt”, Iris pointed out after a moment. “Are you hurt?”   
Cor looked down at his chest, he hadn't even noticed.   
“It's not mine”, Cor admitted. “I brought Prompto here. The bite he suffered was pretty serious and he lost quite a bit of blood.” 

He couldn't bring himself to tell her what her brother had done, not yet. Besides he didn't even know what had happened between them to make Gladiolus attack one of his best friends. So he didn't say anything about it.  
Iris would find out soon enough.   
“Is he alright?”, she asked, and Cor almost smiled at the worry in her voice. He knew how much she liked the blond.   
“Yeah, he'll be alright. He just needs to rest.”   
“At least I hope so”, Cor added for himself.   
But Iris seemed content with that answer and sighed lightly as she closed her eyes and got comfortable again.   
“Just call me when you need something okay?”, Cor asked quietly, standing up from his chair.   
Iris made a small approving noise and was asleep the next heartbeat. 

The marshal leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Iris' forehead in a rare moment of affection. He'd trained her for years after all and Cor had become something like a father figure to her. He never had kids on his own but he'd often taken care of Gladiolus and Iris when they were younger. He kind of saw it as his duty to look after both of them, since Clarus wasn't here to do that anymore.   
And since Cor had trained Iris and taught her everything he knew, they shared a special bond. 

He quietly left her side and made his way over to Prompto and Monica.   
She looked up as he came closer and smiled lightly.   
“It's not often I see you this affectionate”, she stated as she finished bandaging up her patient. Cor thought about what to say to that, but he forgot about it as he saw Prompto's distressed expression.   
“Is he okay?”, Cor asked, not taking his eyes off the blond.   
“He was in shock but I managed to calm him down, so he allowed me to give him a light sedative. I stitched him up, the wound will heal quickly.”   
She paused, softly caressing Prompto's cheek.   
“But he's still under stress. He kept saying something about Ardyn and seems to hallucinate. His throat will most likely bruise, it's already visible in some spots. He has a little trouble breathing and swallowing properly. I already called a friend of mine who knows more about this stuff than I do. She will be here as quick as possible and check him for other symptoms and possible internal injuries.” 

Cor sighed quietly at Monica's words. He'd have to talk to Gladiolus and find out what made him attack his friend.   
Iris would find out what happened when she'd see the strangulation marks on Prompto's throat and she would give her brother hell for it. No doubt.   
Cor didn't want to think about what could have happened if he'd showed up only a minute later. Or what could still happen.   
He knew strangulation shouldn't be taken lightly. 

“I'll stay here and keep an eye on him and Iris too”, the marshal then said.   
“Thank you”, Monica replied and stood up.   
They both knew Cor wasn't exactly doing this for her so she could get some rest. It was obvious to her, that her old friend really cared about those kids and she smiled at him for a moment.   
“If you need help or anything changes with their condition, just call me”, she added and was out the door soon. 

Cor took a deep breath and for a second the silence calmed him down. He looked over to Iris but she was resting peacefully compared to Prompto.   
The blond seemed paler than usual and was still squirming from time to time.  
His erratic breaths were the only sound that could be heard.   
Cor reached out and stroked through Prompto's hair softly.   
He didn't say anything but the motion seemed to calm the younger one.   
Cor relaxed after a while and made himself a little more comfortable in his chair, ready to stay awake in case his kids would need him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DON'T HATE ME OR GLADIO! HE WILL MAKE UP FOR IT I SWEAR!!  
> Anywaaaay, I wasn't sure if Gladio's reaction was reasonable but my dear banjkazfan reassured me it was understandable (thank you sweety!)  
> Also put a trigger warning in the tags, just in case :)  
> Hope you liked it, see ya! x
> 
> Next time: Prom shows up at the Leville without warning, Cor acts even more like a dad and Prom asks him a favour


	4. Sinister Shadows

A week had passed since the incident with Gladio and Prompto and that week had been hell for Cor.   
Of course Iris had found out what had happened and as soon as she could she took her brother to task.   
Gladiolus had felt guilty immediately after realizing what he'd done but because he was unable to find words to apologize to Prompto, he hadn't dared talk to him.   
Prompto had stayed with Monica for a couple of days, as did Iris.  
Cor had been worried for Prompto's health but Monica and her friend Alice, who had made sure the boy had no internal damage, reassured him, that Prompto would be fine.  
He would only need a couple of days to heal. 

However, with Prompto and Iris not able to fight, two important hunters were missing and Cor had taken it upon himself to help out wherever he could.   
Now he was tired from two hunts this day alone and slowly made his way to his room in the Leville.  
A hot shower and some food was all he was looking forward to.   
Cor was so in thought he completely missed the quiet noises coming from his room and was surprised to see Prompto when he opened the door.  
He'd given him the spare key for the room, but he didn't expect to see him here so soon.   
The blond was sitting on the bed, his back to Cor and sobbed quietly. 

“Prompto?”, Cor asked, worry evident in his voice before he closed the door. 

The blond jumped at his words and turned around, his eyes red and puffy, dark rings beneath them.   
Cor put all his stuff aside and walked over to him.   
Prompto lowered his head and tried to hide his tears behind a bloody hand.   
Before Cor could ask, he spotted a med kit beside the kid and noticed some blood running down his left arm.   
Two of the wounds he'd gotten from the bite were open again and he had obviously tried to take care of it himself. 

“Hey, now... calm down”, he said soothingly, while scanning the room for his glasses. 

He snatched them from his bedside table, put them on and got everything he needed from the kit.   
There were some bloodstained pieces of gauze scattered on the sheets and he even spotted a needle somewhere in the mess. 

“How did this happen?”, Cor asked, as he slowly started cleaning the wounds with a small cloth.   
Prompto flinched under his touch and Cor tried to be more careful.   
Prompto wouldn't answer his question and just continued sobbing.   
Cor decided to leave it at that for the moment but he had to repress a sigh.  
Hunters got hurt all the time, but this was the fourth time in the span of only a couple of weeks he'd seen Prompto like that.  
He didn't want it to become a routine. 

Cor only spoke a couple of times to explain what he was doing to the bite and soon the wounds were cleaned properly and stitched up again.  
At least it hadn't been anything serious this time.   
Cor wordlessly put away the med kit and cleaned up the mess on the bed.   
When he came back Prompto had calmed down a bit and only wiped at his eyes from time to time while he tried to steady his breath.   
Cor sat down on the chair next to the bed and waited for the blond to say something.   
The marshal himself wasn't good with words and he feared that Prompto would tear up again if he said something wrong, so he just waited for him to make the first step. 

“When... when Ardyn kidnapped me, he... h-he tortured me...” 

The words were gut-wrenching.   
Cor had only known that the blond had been imprisoned by the chancellor after he fell of the train to Tenebrae.   
No one ever said something about torture. 

“It was horrible... he would t-take the shape of one of the others and p-play tricks on me... he only looked like himself when he beat me up...” 

Prompto was staring at something Cor couldn't see and he was shaking lightly, but something told Cor he shouldn't come closer. 

“He'd often choke me until I w-was unconscious and when Gladio did that-” 

Prompto didn't finish his sentence, but Cor knew what he wanted to say.   
The younger one fought against new tears for a moment, before glancing up at Cor. 

“Why won't he talk to me? Why won't he say something?” 

Prompto's questions sounded so desperate Cor couldn't bear it. 

“I don't know”, he answered truthfully. “I think he's ashamed of what he did and he should be. Maybe he needs some time to find the right words.” 

He knew his words didn't make the situation any better, but maybe they could help Prompto understand that Gladio wasn't ready to talk just now.   
The blond seemed to think for a moment, before nodding slightly.   
He still felt bad though and new tears started to well in his blue eyes.   
Cor had noticed them and something - he didn't know what it was - made him sit next to him and pull him into his arms.   
Prompto seemed surprised for a moment but was clinging to the older one for dear life only seconds later.   
Cor let him cry while he ran one hand up and down the other's back and the other through his hair. 

For a moment Cor couldn't remember when he'd last done something like this.   
It must have been when Iris was pretty young, he'd often looked after her and her brother when their dad couldn't be home.   
She would always miss him and sometimes Cor had to calm her down the way he tried with Prompto right now.   
But this was different. 

Prompto practically grew up alone, he'd only seen his foster parents very rarely and had to take care of himself from a young age.   
Perhaps he'd never experienced a situation like this. Where someone was there to just hold him after a bad day when he couldn't hold back the tears.   
Cor only pressed the younger one closer to him at that thought. He knew what that was like. 

“I'm here, okay? You're safe.” 

Prompto started to relax when he heard the words and soon his exhaustion was taking over as he slowly drifted off to sleep.   
Cor carefully laid the younger one down and looked at him for a moment.   
He seemed more calm than before and one could almost think that there was nothing wrong with him.   
But Cor could see the bruises on Prompto's throat that hadn't quite faded yet.   
Maybe it was best if he talked to Gladiolus before Prompto did.   
He had wanted to do that anyway, he just hadn't had the time yet.   
Cor was about to stand up when he felt Prompto reach out and grab his arm.   
He looked back over his shoulder to see Prompto glancing up at him through half opened eyes. 

“Don't go.” 

His words were quiet but pleading, there was no way Cor could ignore them. 

“Okay”, he breathed. “Just give me a second.” 

He kicked off his boots, took his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it.   
To his surprise he had almost fifteen missed calls from Monica and Iris. His phone had been on silent all the time and he hadn't noticed.

"Give me a moment, yeah?", he asked Prompto, got up and dialled Monica's number.

She picked up immediately.

"Thanks the Six, finally!", was the first thing Cor heard. "Have you seen Prompto anywhere?"

"Don't worry, he's here with me", Cor almost whispered. "He's okay but he needs some rest."

Monica let out a long breath at the other end of the line.  
"It's good to hear that", she finally said. "He ran away from Old Lestallum."

Cor turned around and looked at Prompto who looked very small and fragile curled up on the large bed.  
"Ran away?", he repeated.

"I don't know how he managed to get to Lestallum so quickly. And I don't know why he left. I'm just glad he's with you now. I'll tell Iris he's fine. Keep me up to date on his condition, okay?"

"Sure. I'll call you later."

They said their goodbyes and hung up, Cor stepped over to the bed.   
He debated whether he should ask Prompto about what Monica had told him or not.  
But seeing him like this, curled up on the bed, still shaking lightly Cor decided to let him be for now.  
He made himself comfortable on his side of the bed and Prompto instantly came closer and cuddled up to his side.   
On a normal day Prompto wouldn't have dared to come this close but not now. 

He hadn't slept properly in days, nightmares had haunted him, hallucinations of Ardyn or Gladio hurting him were present when he was awake.   
He couldn't bear this any longer.   
As soon as he felt Cor hesitantly putting an arm around his back Prompto relaxed visibly.   
He mumbled a “Thank you” into the fabric of Cor's shirt before closing his eyes.   
Only a minute later he was fast asleep. 

For a while Cor listened to the steady sound of Prompto's breathing and thought about what he could say to Gladiolus. He knew the shield felt terrible about what had happened, he'd seen it in his amber eyes as he told Ignis to get him away from Prompto.   
And when he'd visited Iris to see how she was doing, she'd told him about their fight. 

Well, it hadn't really been a fight.   
Apparently Iris had been so mad with her older brother that he hadn't dared to say a lot and just listened to her angry words.   
Iris had apologized for scolding her brother like that afterwards.   
Gladio had told her he'd only been worried for her well being and his anxiety had made him see red.   
And for a small part that was understandable.   
But it was no excuse.   
Prompto must have been scared to death in that moment and the way he was now clinging to Cor only reassured him of his assumption. 

“Don't worry kid, I'm here.”

Then he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. 

 

~

 

Prompto had bad dreams that night. A lot of them.   
Cor would often wake up because the younger one squirmed beside him or started muttering incoherent words, sometimes he whimpered quietly.   
The first few times Cor had woken him up and asked if he was okay.   
Prompto had always assured him it was just a nightmare and had fallen back asleep.   
As the hours passed the nightmares slowly died down and in the morning Prompto was sleeping peacefully at the marshal's side.   
Cor had stayed awake for a while but now exhaustion overwhelmed him and he too fell into a deep slumber. 

 

~ 

 

When Prompto woke up a couple hours later he was surprised to find himself so close to the marshal.  
The older man was still fast asleep and Prompto carefully propped himself up to not disturb him.   
Memories of last night kept coming back to him, how he tried to take care of the bite, Cor coming back and taking care of him, the nightmares.   
He looked at the sleeping marshal for a long moment, grateful that he'd stayed by his side.   
Prompto decided to make it up to him as best as he could.   
He would start off with some breakfast.   
There weren't that many ingredients left in the small fridge as Prompto found out a couple minutes later but he did his best with what he'd got.   
When the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the room after a while Cor slowly woke up.   
He was a little confused as to why he was still wearing most of his clothes but he quickly remembered the previous night and couldn't help but yawn. 

“Morning”, he heard Prompto's voice from the kitchen area.   
He grumbled something similar and attempted to get up.   
His sore muscles protested but he ignored them and dragged himself to the small table.   
“What's the occasion?”, Cor asked as he eyed the rather big selection of food. 

“Just wanted to say thank you, y'know?”, Prompto answered. “For... being there for me last night...”

Prom only looked at the marshal for a split second, smiling uncertainly. 

“You don't have to thank me”, Cor replied after a moment. “It was the natural thing to do.” 

He left it at that but didn't stop watching Prompto, as he poured them two cups of coffee.   
The younger one seemed deep in thought and still showed a distressed expression but he looked nowhere as bad as when Cor had found him last night. 

“I've been thinking about something since I woke up”, Prompto admitted as he set down one of the cups in front of Cor and sat down.

Cor only raised an eyebrow at him and waited for him to continue. 

“Could you... I mean, would you be willing to train me?”, Prompto asked after a long moment of silence. 

Cor looked at him for a while. He didn't know why but he'd somehow expected something like this. 

“You're a skilled fighter already, one of our best”, Cor answered thoughtfully. “What is there that I could teach you?” 

“I was thinking about advanced hand to hand combat...” Prompto spoke hesitantly and looked at his hands. “I've got the basics but I was never that good at it.” 

Cor nodded.   
“I could do that.” 

He suspected Prompto chose hand to hand so he could defend himself better if something like the incident with Gladio were to happen again.   
But he could tell Prompto wasn't finished yet. 

“Anything else?”

Prompto took a sip of his coffee before answering. 

“I want you to teach me how to wield a katana.” 

Now this was unexpected and Cor leaned back in his chair, thinking.

“Did you think this through, Prompto?”, he asked. “There's a big difference between firearms and a katana. You're not used to close range combat like most of us. I know you work well with different kinds of machineries but a katana is different. I've trained with mine since I was nine and I'm forty-seven now. You'll have to train hard and a lot if you wanna master it.” 

Prompto nodded at the marshal's words. 

“I know all that”, he said but there was a new kind of determination in his voice. 

“But I need to do this in order to get better. Will you help me?” 

Prompto's blue eyes gazed up at Cor and the marshal could see a fire burning inside that hadn't been there before. 

“Alright kid. I'll train you. But let me ask one more question: why?"

"I want to be able to defend myself better, you know? I need to learn close range combat sooner or later anyway. My guns aren't of much use in this damn darkness. Half the time I can't aim properly and fighting is a lot harder for me because of this. Damn it, I get hurt a lot more because of this. I tried to modify my weapons so they'll be of greater use but I don't have all the necessary things for it yet. And if anyone could train me it's you."

They looked into each others eyes for a few heartbeats before Cor nodded.

"Very well. We'll start as soon as possible. But first you've got to apologize to Monica for running away."

The blond felt the heat creeping up his face and neck and nodded.

"I'll call her later", he promised. "I just... I couldn't stand staying there anymore... the silence drove me crazy and..."

He didn't finish his sentence and let out a deep sigh.

"I'll apologize, promise. And I won't do something like that again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I've been meaning to upload this for days now but editing is hard my dudes ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Anyway, I'm not too satisfied with this, partially because I wanted to write more about Prompto's backstory about what happened in Gralea but I'll wait until Episode Prompto is out and then see where I go from there, sorry if it seems a bit vague :)  
> And don't worry: it's going uphill from here, I promise!  
> Hope y'all like this one, the next one should be up in two or three days! :)  
> See ya!  
> Lucy x
> 
> (next chapter: Cor and Iris have a surprise for everyone, Ignis has fun for once in a while and a lot of pictures are taken :) )


	5. One Of These Nights

Everyone needed a time out every now and then.   
That was fact.   
Especially in the ongoing years of darkness when everything seemed hopeless too often it was important to take the people's minds off of all the bad things happening once in a while.   
That's why there was one night every month were the citizens would come together in the ballroom of the Leville.   
There wasn't an official program for these nights but a lot of people prepared something to present to the others. 

Prompto loved these nights.   
They were always full of joy, magical even. He'd never done anything himself, just being there was enough for him.   
Tonight was one of these nights and Prompto was more excited than usual.   
He was excited because he'd just learned that Cor was gonna take part in the show tonight.   
He had absolutely no idea what the marshal would do though and Cor hadn't told him anything despite Prompto practically begging him to tell him already.   
The fact that Cor was also wearing an actual dress shirt instead of his usual crownsguard uniform made the blond curious. 

When he'd arrived about half an hour ago the room had been nearly empty but now it slowly started to fill.   
Prompto saw Gladio and Ignis arriving together but he only gave them a shy wave and a mumbled “Hello” before taking a sip from his wine glass again.   
He hadn't talked to Gladio yet despite knowing that he should do so as soon as possible. He just hadn't worked up the courage yet. 

He was all the more relieved to see that Iris was heading towards him.   
Gladio's sister still treated him as always and he was glad about that.   
She greeted him with a big smile and Prompto couldn't help but smile too. 

“Hey there”, he said. “Heard you're part of tonight's show too?”   
Iris nodded eagerly, although Prompto was sure he caught a glimpse of uncertainty in her amber eyes.   
“You're a little nervous, huh?”, he asked sympathetically.  
“Guess so”, Iris admitted but couldn't help but smile. “I'm still waiting for the day you're finally doing something. Surely you have some hidden talents.”  
Prompto laughed for a moment.

“Someday maybe”, he added. “And you still won' tell me what you're doing?”   
“Nope!”, she exclaimed happily and Prompto groaned.   
“You're worse than Cor, you know that?”, he said. “He wouldn't tell me what he had planned either.”  
“Maybe that's because we want to surprise you guys.”   
“Wait... we?! You and the marshal are doing something together??” 

Iris only chuckled at that.   
“I thought you'd have guessed that after all the meet up's in the past few weeks, guess I was mistaken.”   
Prompto could only stare at her for a long moment and Iris burst out laughing at his dumbfounded look.  
“You should see your face, Prom!”, she almost shrieked and gods, Prompto adored her so much in that moment.   
It was rare seeing her this happy, even though she was still a happy person.   
“Anyway, I gotta go and prepare for the show”, she stated with a quick glance on her phone. “See you later, enjoy the show!” 

With that she was gone and Prompto was left in the crowd.   
He didn't exactly have time to think about what to do until the show started because soon the lights got turned down and the show began.   
The first two presentations were a lot of fun for everyone.   
The first one was a short theatre act a mother and some kids had prepared. Prompto thought it was a really sweet idea and luckily he'd remembered to bring his camera along so he snapped some pictures. 

The second act were a couple of young adults who did some sketch comedy and Ignis found it surprisingly hilarious, as Prompto had noticed.   
The advisor wasn't standing too far away and couldn't help but laugh quietly as Gladio described to him what he couldn't see.   
It warmed Prompto's heart to see Ignis smiling like that once in a while. It seemed carefree, light. 

Once the act was over there was a short break and Prompto went to get another drink.   
He decided for a whiskey this time and to his surprise it was pretty decent.   
When he made his way back through the crowd to his spot in the front, he saw a piano being brought up on stage, a damn huge piano.   
So a musical number next then.   
Prompto always liked those the most and hoped he'd get the chance to take some good pictures.   
He stayed close to the side, sipping his whiskey once in a while, excited to see what would follow.   
A microphone was brought to the front and after a quick soundcheck everyone left the stage and the lights were dimmed once again.   
The whole room went quiet within seconds, everyone waiting in anticipation for what was next to come. 

Prompto could hear the clicking sound of high heels on wooden floor and when he looked up he couldn't believe what he was seeing.   
Iris made her way to the front of the stage dressed in a beautiful red dress with a black flower pattern. The dress went just above her knees, it had no sleeves. The black high heels she wore fit perfectly and with her styled hair she simply looked stunning.   
Behind her Cor entered the stage, looking equally elegant in his dark grey dress shirt with even darker cuffs and collar. A black tie, dark pants and black shoes completed his outfit. Iris still seemed a little nervous but as she saw the crowd smiling up at her she seemed to calm down a bit.   
Cor sat down at the piano while Iris took the microphone in her hands. 

Most of the crowd could only stare at them, among them Prompto, Gladio and Talcott, who had arrived just in time to watch the act.   
Iris greeted the crowd with a smile and let her gaze wander over the many people that had gathered in the room. 

“Good evening”, she said happily. “We're here to perform two songs tonight that we hope you will enjoy as much as we do. And I don't wanna talk too much, so let's just get started.”   
She looked over to Cor and nodded and a moment later the first tones of a piano intro could be heard.   
Prompto never knew that Cor could play the piano. He'd always assumed the marshal didn't have time for such a hobby.   
But when Iris started singing he forgot all he was thinking about. 

He recognized the song and remembered that it was originally sung by a man but the original version didn't have anything on the way Cor and Iris made it sound like.   
The whole room was listening, all eyes glued on Iris. 

 

“Time waits for no one,   
So do you want to waste some time?   
Oh, oh tonight?   
Don't be afraid of tomorrow,   
Just take my hand,   
I'll make it feel so much better tonight” 

 

The lyrics were perfect and Prompto couldn't help but smile.   
He looked around for a moment and only smiled wider as he saw the reactions of the crowd. 

There was a little girl, maybe six or seven years old, whose eyes were sparkling with adoration as she looked up at Iris.  
Talcott, who wasn't far away from Prompto, looked so starstruck the blond couldn't help but chuckle quietly.   
An older couple had their eyes closed and just listened to Iris' beautiful singing voice. Gladio and Ignis both looked like they couldn't believe it was really Gladio's sister up on stage.   
And Prompto?   
Prompto felt happy. And safe. Lucky to be here to witness this. 

After a few moments he turned on his camera and took some pictures.   
They wouldn't do the whole atmosphere justice but he figured Iris would like a picture or two of this special evening.

The first song ended and the whole ballroom erupted into thundering applause.   
Iris smiled brightly and looked over to Cor who showed one of his rare smiles too and nodded at her.   
She turned her attention back to the crowd and waited until the applause had died down. 

“Wow, thanks a lot”, she said a little breathless, still grinning from ear to ear. “We have prepared another song and I hope you like it as much.” 

She gave Cor a sign and the marshal started playing a much slower intro this time.   
There was a moment of silence after about half a minute, the room waited in anticipation.   
Then Iris began to sing quietly.   
Prompto just listened.   
He wanted to savour each and every second of this.

The second song had less text than the first and after a minute or so Iris took her mic off the microphone holder and walked over to Cor.   
The marshal looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder and smiled softly before concentrating on playing again.   
Iris sang the next part and Prompto was honestly surprised she could hit the high note so perfectly. It seemed like it was the most natural thing in the world to her though.   
Iris pressed a light kiss to Cor's temple before returning to the front of the stage and Prompto swore the marshal almost looked embarrassed.   
But he was hypnotized when Iris sang the chorus. 

 

“You will know, you're reborn tonight   
Must be rough but I'll stay by your side   
Even if my body's beat to the bones   
I don't want to go through that ever again   
So cry no more, oh my beloved   
Go hit the ground and finally know   
You are the one, a rising star   
You got this far, to hold your ground” 

 

Prompto was sure he had tears in his eyes and most of the audience probably had too but he didn't care.   
The song ended way too soon but if anything the applause was even louder this time. Gladio was probably cheering the loudest, he looked so proud of his little sister.   
Prompto watched as Iris and Cor stood at the front and bowed to the crowd, both smiling shyly. 

The show was over after that but a lot of people stayed to have a chat or drink a bit and Prompto was no exception.   
He talked to some people he knew but still avoided Gladio who was with his sister for a while before he and Ignis left about an hour after the show ended.   
The room then soon started to empty and Prompto spotted Cor standing by the piano.   
He walked over and climbed the stage. 

“I didn't know you could play”, Prompto said and gestured to the instrument as Cor looked back at him.   
“Few people knew until tonight”, Cor admitted. “I started when I was in my mid-twenties.”   
He sat down and let his fingers ghost over the keys.   
“May I ask why?” 

Cor seemed to think for a moment before answering.   
“I got into the crownsguard when I was thirteen. Became King Mors' bodyguard at fifteen and accompanied Regis when he went to Accordo. I challenged the blademaster when I was fifteen as well. A few years passed and I became marshal. All my life I've been fighting in this war, it's what I was good at.”   
He paused for a moment.  
“But as I got older I asked myself if that was all there was to me. I needed to prove myself that these hands were capable of doing something other than killing. And soon after that I decided to learn how to play the piano.”   
He smiled for a short moment.   
“I'd never expected it but I was good at it. But because of my duties in the crownsguard I never had much time to practice. I did whenever I could but as you can imagine I didn't have the time.” 

Prompto smiled.   
“Well, I sure as hell didn't expect this tonight. I didn't even know you and Iris had planned something together.”   
Cor chuckled lightly at that.   
“It was Iris' idea to be honest. I was unsure at first but...”  
“You couldn't say no to her?”, Prompto guessed as he sat down on the grand piano.   
The marshal nodded.   
“Of course I couldn't”, he answered. 

“You couldn't what?” 

Both men turned around to see Iris walking up to them. She carried her heels in one hand and smiled at them.   
“Couldn't say no when you asked me to perform these songs with you”, Cor replied.   
Iris laughed and sat down next to Prompto.   
“I wouldn't have tried if it were different”, she said. “Thank you, Cor. Really. This meant a lot to me.”   
The marshal just waved her off. 

“Hey, umm, I just wanted to tell you you were great”, Prompto shyly said to Iris when she turned to face him. Prompto was certain he blushed a bit.   
If Iris noticed she didn't mention it and beamed at him.   
“Thank you, Prom!” She leaned her head against his shoulder and Prompto put an arm around her back.   
“Didn't know you could sing that well”, he added.   
“You just haven't heard me sing before”, Iris smiled and looked over to Cor. “I honestly didn't expect for the people to like it that much.”   
Cor shrugged.   
“Neither did I, but it seems we have done well.”   
“Well? You two were awesome!”, Prompto exclaimed. “And because no one expected such a performance we were all the more surprised by your talents.”   
“That's enough with the compliments, Prom”, Iris said and punched him lightly on the arm. “You'll get Cor to blush if you continue.” 

The blond only chuckled before taking his camera in his hands.   
“Hey, I got some pictures, you two wanna see 'em?”   
“Yeah, sure! Cor, come here!”   
Cor stood up and stepped over to them, leaning against the piano on Prompto's other side, while the boy looked through the rows of pictures on the display.   
“Here!”   
He clicked one of the pictures and a second later they looked at a close up shot of Iris singing. Her amber eyes showed her excitement and Iris smiled down at the picture.   
“I like this one”, she admitted. “Please show us the others.” 

They looked through about twenty different pictures, most of them showing Iris but a few portrayed Cor sitting at his piano.   
“These are really good. You really have an eye for photography”, Cor said when they'd seen all pictures.   
Prompto almost blushed again at the praise. 

“Hey, we should take a photo together!”, Iris suggested.   
“What, like right now?”, Prompto asked.   
“Of course right now, idiot”, the younger one teased him. “Come on!”   
“Okay”, Prompto agreed with a light smile.   
“You need to be in the middle, Cor”, Iris explained and pulled the marshal over to her by his shoulder.   
“Why me?”, Cor protested.   
“Just because”, she answered and put an arm around his shoulder.   
Prompto put one hand on Cor's free shoulder and held the camera in front of them with the other.   
“Ready?”, he asked. “Say cheese!” 

Cor was a bit tense at first but after a couple pictures he relaxed and the other two even got him to smile.  
They went through their photos together afterwards and choose the ones which they thought were the best.

The three stayed in the empty ballroom for quite some time just talking to each other.   
But it got late quickly and at one point Iris had yawned three times in the span of one minute.   
“Alright, young lady, it's time to go to bed now”, Cor said and stood up.   
“You almost sound like my dad”, Iris answered and rubbed at her eyes.   
Cor and her looked at each other for a heartbeat but no words were spoken.   
“He is right though”, Prompto intervened. “Come on, I'll bring you to your room.”   
Iris nodded and got to her feet.   
“Good night, Cor”, she mumbled and let her hand linger on his shoulder for a moment.   
Cor put his hand on Iris' for a second.   
“Good night, Iris”, he replied quietly.   
“I'll be there in a few”, Prompto added and Cor nodded, watching the pair until they were out of sight. 

“How's your training with Cor going by the way?”, Iris asked on the way to her room.   
Prompto sighed.   
“It's going okay, I think”, he answered. “It's very hard though, harder than I thought. I know I should've expected this, especially because it's Cor who trains me, but damn...”   
He sighed again.   
“Don't worry too much”, Iris said. “These things take time. I've been trained before Insomnia fell but when Cor started training me after we arrived here, it made me realize how much there still is for me to learn.”   
Prompto smiled at her.   
“Thank you”, he said but then he looked at the floor again. 

“Is there something else that's troubling you?”, she dared to ask after a moment.   
“You know...” Prompto didn't know how to put it. “I still haven't talked to your brother...”   
“Right...”, she mumbled. “Prom... I know you still feel guilty for what happened, but I want you to know that I don't blame you.”   
They stopped in front of Iris' door.   
“It's not your fault no matter what Gladdy may have said.”   
She gently lifted his chin with two fingers so he would look at her.   
“But... you could have died if it had been worse...”   
“Yes, but it wasn't. And now stop with that.”   
Prompto bit his lower lip, not knowing what to say.   
“Just... you two have to talk this out, okay? I can't stand seeing you guys avoid each other.”   
“Alright”, Prompto agreed. “I'll speak to him once I see him again.”   
“Good.” 

She smiled at him and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek that completely took him by surprise.   
Prompto stared at her for a moment before regaining his composure and smiling back at her.   
“Good night, Iris", he said softly.   
“Good night, Prom.”   
He waited until the younger one disappeared behind her door before heading back.   
As he walked up the stairs to Cor's and his shared room he couldn't help but smile as he let the memories of the night pass his mind again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay but Episode Prompto ripped my heart out (: (It did gave me a hell lot to work with for this story so that's good tho!)  
> Anyway, I'm not sure where the idea for this chapter came from and it may be slightly ooc but I don't even care  
> Cor is a softie when it comes to Iris and Ignis needed to have some fun alright, also proud big brother Gladdy!  
> If you're curious about the songs, the first one is 'Illuminated' by Hurts, I totally forgot about this one for aaages but it seemed to fit the situation :)  
> The second one is 'Call Of Silence' from the Attack On Titan S2 soundtrack, this one instantly had me in tears, I love it so much and the thought of Iris singing it and Cor playing the piano got me good!   
> Please listen to the songs, they're really beautiful!  
> On a side note: Prom maaaay have a lil crush on Iris but who wouldn't am I right?  
> So yeah, I hope you liked this one!!
> 
> (Next time: Cor is intimidating, Gladio and Prom finally talk it out and Gladio has an idea)
> 
> See y'all next time!  
> Lucy x


	6. Lane Boy

Prompto threw his training sword to the ground, the loud sound echoed through the hall.   
He pulled at his sweaty hair and growled in frustration.   
Cor shot him a disapproving look but didn't say a word.   
It had been a long and hard training session after all.   
The marshal picked up the stray sword from the ground and put it back on the rack. 

“Enough for today”, he announced and turned to Prompto who still looked tense.   
“You can head back already, I'll be there soon”, the blond just said, not looking up.   
Cor left without saying another word and let out a sigh when he closed the door behind him.   
Training the younger one was harder than he'd imagined. 

Prompto did quite well but he thought he didn't learn fast enough and made a lot of mistakes because of that.   
Cor had tried to explain that he simply needed time but he wasn't sure if Prompto had listened properly.   
The marshal had never seen Prompto this frustrated just because he lost a sparring match.   
It kind of reminded him of Noctis when he was younger, the way the kid would be angry when he lost against Gladiolus. 

He was about to head back to his room when he spotted the shield down the hallway, talking to someone he didn't know.   
He knew it'd be impolite to interrupt their talk but this was his chance to talk to Gladio before Prompto did.   
He walked up to them with long strides, the tapping sound of his boots making them turn around.   
“Marshal”, they said in unison.   
Cor nodded lightly.   
“Gladiolus. Can I talk to you for a moment?”   
“Yeah, sure”, the shield answered quickly and turned to his companion.   
They exchanged some more words, something about an upcoming hunt before the young man said goodbye and was out of sight soon. 

Gladio turned to Cor but waited for him to say something.   
He knew what this was about.   
“I know you haven't talked to Prompto yet but you should do so now.”   
Gladio avoided his eyes but nodded.   
“You do something like this ever again and it will have consequences you understand?”   
The shield tensed at the words and swallowed hard but nodded again.   
“Yes, sir”, he mumbled.   
Cor figured if he should say more but his words had obviously made an impact already.   
Plus Gladio probably thought he'd lost Cor's respect already, so he decided against it.  
“Good. Now go. He's in the training room.”   
Cor had never seen Gladio obey an order faster and he almost smiled.   
Almost. 

 

Prompto let out an annoyed sigh when the door closed and ran a hand over his red, sweaty face.   
He couldn't even say why he was so frustrated.   
He tried his best and Cor showed endless patience when it came to his training which Prompto was thankful for.   
And although they'd only started a couple of weeks ago Prompto felt as if he didn't learn fast enough.   
Cor had started with the basics and Prompto practised the different moves and stances everyday but combining them was hard for him.   
There was so much he needed to consider before making a single move.   
He tried his best but was way too slow for Cor. 

It shouldn't surprise him since Cor was pretty much a blademaster himself but it made him feel like a failure.   
He couldn't move as fast or as smooth and he sure as hell couldn't react fast enough.   
He knew Cor only wanted to help him by pointing out what he did wrong but it only angered Prompto more. 

He grabbed his water bottle and took a couple of gulps before putting it back down.  
The sound of the front door being opened again made Prompto roll his eyes.   
“I said I'll be there soon, why-”   
He fell silent as he turned around and instead of Cor faced Gladio.   
An uncomfortable silence filled the room for a few heartbeats, the two friends stared at each other.

“What are you doing here?”, Prompto then said, a biting tone in his voice.   
“To be honest, the marshal send me to talk to you.”   
“Yeah? Well, he shouldn't have to”, Prompto spat and grabbed his towel from his bag.   
“I know... y-you're right”, Gladio answered immediately and when Prompto turned around he caught the older one rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.   
“And I know I should have apologized sooner. I'm sorry.” Gladio's voice was quiet and he didn't dare to look Prompto in the eyes.   
The blond stayed where he was, unsure of what to do.   
He was still angry but he knew they needed to talk this out.   
“Just say what you wanna say”, he sighed. “I'll listen.”

Gladio took a deep breath searching for words.   
“I don't even know where to start”, he admitted. “No apology can justify what I've done to you...”   
“You're damn right, it can't”, Prompto snarled, but it didn't sound angry anymore but rather hurt.   
“I was just so worried about Iris”, the shield tried to explain. “I didn't know if it was something serious and when you said it was your fault she got hurt I didn't want to blame you! I didn't want to... but you wouldn't listen 'cause you were in shock and I'm so sorry I got angry at you and did all this to you...”   
“'All this?' Afraid to vocalize it, Gladio? You punched me in the face and then you held me up by my throat against a wall, choking me until I blacked out!”   
Gladio flinched at the younger one's sudden outburst.   
“Do you know how scared I was?! I thought I might die! What would have happened if Cor didn't show up in time?!”

He took some threatening steps in Gladio's direction and although he was furious Gladio saw tears shimmering in his blue eyes.   
“Prompto, I... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...”   
Gladio was unable to find words.   
“Don't you 'I'm sorry' me, Gladio!” The blond was suddenly standing right in front of him, his index finger poking the shield in the chest.  
For a tense moment he just stared into Gladio's dark eyes, then he started punching him repeatedly on the chest.   
“Don't. You. Say. You're. Sorry. When. You Don't. Know. How. I. Felt.”   
The punches weren't strong enough to hurt Gladiolus but he didn't know how to react.  
“When you came to rescue me when Ardyn had kidnapped me I thought I'd never experience something like this ever again. I told you what he did to me! It felt like it was him all over again!”   
Prompto had stopped punching his friend, only his balled fists rested against Gladio's upper body.

He didn't have any energy left and started to cry silently, sinking against the bigger man.  
Very hesitantly and very carefully Gladio put his arms around Prompto's back. The blond tensed for a moment, then he let it be.   
“Promise me you'll never do that again”, he managed to choke out. “I was so scared.”   
“I promise”, Gladio said reassuringly.   
They stayed like this for a while until Prompto had calmed down and let go.   
Only a couple seconds later he yawned. 

Gladio chuckled lightly.   
“Had a hard day?”, he asked to which Prompto could only nod. He wiped at his red eyes for a second.  
“Yeah, a hunt this morning and then training with Cor for two hours.”   
“Is he as strict as a trainer as I think he is?”   
“Probably stricter”, Prompto answered. “He is patient with me though but I make a lot of mistakes.”   
“You've only just started, don't pressure yourself too much.”   
“I still have to learn fast though”, the blond protested. “My guns aren't that effective in the dark even with a good laser pointer and our lights. I can't fight effective anymore when I can't even see what I'm fighting half the time, so I have to learn something different.”   
Gladio nodded understandingly. He'd never thought about that. 

“Well if there's anything I can help you with you're always welcome to ask”, he said. Prompto thought about the offer for a moment.   
“Actually... I think there is something you can help me with.”   
Prompto explained to him how he was struggling with the transition from one stance to another and how he always seemed to be too slow. Gladio watched as Prompto showed him what he meant and thought for a moment.   
“I had the same problem when I started training”, the shield admitted. “But for me it was like this because I was pretty tall and heavy for my age, so I had trouble coordinating myself. I don't know why it's difficult for you... Maybe you concentrate too hard?”   
“What do you mean?”, Prompto asked confused and sat down.  
Gladio joined him.   
“If you concentrate too much and only focus on doing that single move correctly you'll have problems combining different attacks and moves, you know? But I don't know what we could do to fix that...”   
“Cor always says I've got to try and see it as a whole and not different steps or something like that”, Prompto said. “He says I've got to see it in my mind before I do it but I don't know how to do that.”   
“We'll figure something out”, Gladio reassured him. 

“If only we could get all the weapons that are still in the armiger”, Prompto mused. “I can't stand the training weapons, they're pretty much rubbish. There's a ton of good weapons in the armiger that are useful for us but we can't get our hands on them.”   
“Yeah, you're right”, Gladio sighed, thinking back to all his excellent great-swords that were lost.   
“It takes so long now to have weapons made and customized to personal preferences, not to mention they are unbelievably expensive, even for us.”   
“Well, there's nothing we can do about it now”, Gladio pointed out.   
“Right...”, Prompto mumbled, just a second later Gladio's phone made a noise.   
The shield checked the display and cursed. 

“Damn, I should be at Ignis' soon. I promised him we will spend the evening together.”   
“'Spend the evening together?'”, Prompto giggled. “It's alright, you can say it, big guy. We all know you're dating.”   
Gladio felt his cheeks heating up immediately and refused to look Prompto in the eyes.   
“W-We're not dating!”, he claimed weakly, the blond only grinned.   
“Sure, whatever!”, Prompto answered and got up. “But I should head back too. Cor probably wonders where I am already, he might think I've ripped you to pieces.”   
“As if you could!”   
“Hey, don't underestimate me!”

The younger one grabbed his bag and they left the hall together.   
As they were about to depart Gladio turned to his friend.   
“Prompto... I'm really sorry it took me so long to talk to you and apologize... I know things are gonna be weird between us for a while but I hope we can get back to normal someday.”   
Prompto took a deep breath.   
“I hope that too”, he admitted. “But I might need a while...” 

He knew he wouldn't be able to forget what happened anytime soon, but it helped that they had finally talked about it.   
“I'll give you all the time you need”, Gladio promised in an instant.   
“Thank you.”   
Prompto had a small smile on his lips when he looked up again, Gladio smiled back at him.   
“I'll see you soon, champ”, the shield said and held out his arm.   
“Yeah, see you soon”, Prompto repeated and bumped their forearms together, like they used to do with Noctis.   
Prompto went for the stairs as Gladio walked through the foyer.   
“Have fun with Iggy tonight!”, he called after him.   
He just couldn't resist.   
Gladio groaned and Prompto laughed, making his way upstairs. 

Cor turned around when he heard the door being opened.   
Thankfully Prompto looked fine, relaxed even and much better than when Cor had left him before.   
“Did you talk to Gladiolus?”, he asked.   
“Yeah, thanks for sending him my way”, Prompto answered. “He tried to apologize and then I screamed at him but then we talked a bit and... I will need some time but I can look him in the eyes again.”   
Cor nodded.   
“That's good. Dinner will be ready soon by the way.”   
“Alright! I'll just go and get a quick shower!”   
“Just don't use all our hot water again!” 

 

~

 

The next morning, when Prompto had already headed out for another hunt, Cor had some time left before meeting up with Monica, Dave and some other important people.   
They were supposed to discuss plans on going back to the Formouth base because according to Ignis there could be some useful stuff for them.   
Cor was already thinking about when they could make it there, how many people they would need and so on when his phone rang. 

“Leonis”, he said without checking the display first.   
“Marshal, it's Gladio.”   
“Hello Gladio”, Cor greeted him. “Is there anything I can do for you?”   
“Yes. Well, I don't know, maybe. Do you know if there's a way to get our weapons out of Noctis' armiger?”   
Cor was silent for a moment.   
“Why do you ask such a question?”, he then wanted to know.

“It's just... something that Prompto said yesterday. We talked for a while and he said there are a lot of good weapons still in the armiger. It's just that we can't reach them and it made me think. Noct's not dead and the crystal still exists, so there's gotta be a way, right? Ignis can still use a bit of magic, as can the glaives that survived the fall of Insomnia. So it technically is possible, right?”   
Cor thought about the shield's words for a moment.   
“Technically yes”, he confirmed slowly. “But none of us is powerful enough to summon anything. And it's still a mystery to me why Ignis can still use magic when almost nobody is able to anymore. But I don't know how to...”   
Cor didn't finish his sentence. 

“Marshal?”, Gladio asked after a moment. “Sir, are you still there?”   
Cor snapped out of it a second later.   
“I just got an idea but I can't guarantee it's going to work”, he answered. “It could be worth a try but I'll need you, Ignis and Prompto. Iris too.”   
“Okay, alright”, Gladio answered.   
Cor knew the shield must have so many questions but he didn't ask any of them.   
“When do you need us?”   
“As soon as possible. But we need some time. I don't know if this is going to work out at all, so we'll all need at least half a day off.”   
“Understood. I'll let you know as soon as we managed something.”   
“Thank you, Gladiolus. I'll see you soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter down, yaaaay! :D  
> Gladio and Ignis are officially dating, wohoo!  
> I really hope you liked this one!   
> Updates are probably gonna be a bit slower from now on, I had six chapters written as I started uploading, the seventh one is also done and I have a lot more planned, I'll just need some time to write it all down! ^.^  
> That's it for now, see y'all next time!  
> Lucy x
> 
> (Next chapter: The gang heads out to Hammerhead, Cor gets scolded and a very surprising kiss happens)


	7. Old Bonds

Prompto always found a way to surprise Cor and it made the marshal realize how much he still didn't know about him.  
It was three weeks after Gladio had called and asked him about the armiger.  
Today he had ordered them all to Hammerhead.  
He had even allowed Prompto to drive his car here and they were now waiting for Gladio, Ignis and Iris to arrive. 

Cor was sitting next to Cid outside the garage and kept an eye on Prompto who stood a couple feet away and talked to Cindy.  
He could see that the blond was somewhat nervous and it made him wonder if the kid had a crush on Cindy.  
It wouldn't surprise him to be honest, but secretly he thought that she was out of his league. 

On their way here Prompto had complained about driving out here, saying that they could've met up in Lestallum and saved gas and time that way.  
But as soon as he saw Cindy his face had lightened up and he'd immediately started chatting with her. 

“Hey Leonis, are you listening to me?”  
Cor snapped out of his thoughts and turned to his old companion.  
“Apologies”, he said. “Could you repeat that?”  
Cid grumbled quietly.  
“I asked if you really think that's a good idea.”  
“To be honest it was my only idea”, Cor admitted.  
“And you're not sure if it works at all? Why would you try then? You weren't like that back in the day. You'd only do something if you were a hundred percent sure it'd work, like fighting the blademaster.” 

Cor snorted at the words, but the smallest of smiles appeared on his lips.  
“I was fifteen, Cid. A stubborn child that wouldn't listen to anyone. You know that better than anyone.”  
Cid started to laugh when Cor said that.  
“I do”, he confirmed. “But it worked, didn't it? You made it out alive, barely, but you made it. And you saved our asses multiple times even though you were being a stubborn little brat.”  
Cor shook his head lightly.  
“I guess it did”, he answered. “But this is different. I can only hope we will succeed.” 

Cid was about to say something else, when they noticed the bright headlights of a truck a bit down the road.  
“Finally”, Cor said, but made no attempt at getting up.  
They waited until Gladio pulled up in the parking lot. Iris, Gladio and Ignis climbed out the car, Ignis took a hold of Gladio's arm while Iris ran up to Cor and Cid to greet them.  
She hadn't seen Cor in a couple of weeks and it's been almost two months since she'd visited Cid.  
She hugged both of them close and then went over to Prompto and Cindy to say hello. Cindy and Iris had become good friends, since she often stayed here. 

“That Amicitia boy reminds me of old Clarus.” Cor turned around to see his old friend eyeing up Gladio and Ignis.  
“Yeah, me too. He's a lot like his dad.”  
“I heard he hurt one of your kids.”  
Cor shot him a questioning look at his words.  
“One of my kids?”  
“The blond boy, you know”, Cid explained. “Is he okay? I mean, obviously he is, otherwise he wouldn't make eyes at Cindy like that. But is he fine?”  
“He had a couple of bad days, nightmares and stuff like that. But he'll be okay.” 

Cid nodded thoughtfully.  
“That's good. You know I was about your age when I started taking care of my sweet Cindy.”  
He looked at her softly for a moment.  
“Yeah, but... Prompto is twenty-two already”, Cor said. “And we're not even related.”  
“By the Six, Leonis, I never thought you'd be that big of an idiot. What you just said doesn't matter. I've never seen you act more like a father than with him and the Amicitia girl. Don't try to deny it. These kids love you. So you better be looking after them, you hear me?”  
Cor was at loss for words.  
Did Cid just scold him?  
It almost made him laugh. No one else would dare to do that.  
And maybe Cid was right.  
But before he could say anything else Ignis and Gladio had reached them. 

“Hello Cid, Cor”, Gladio nodded at them.  
Ignis greeted them too and the older men welcomed them.  
“I have got to say, I'm quite curious about your plan, marshal”, Ignis said. “I was unable to figure out a way to access the armiger again and I still can't explain why I am one of the few people that are still able to use magic.”  
“I don't know either, Ignis”, Cor admitted. “And I can't guarantee this is going to work, we just have to hope for the best. But let's get the others first, shall we?”  
“Good luck, Leonis”, Cid said and clapped his old companion on the back. “You can do this.” Cor smiled lightly at him, then went over to the others, Gladio and Ignis followed him. Cindy wished them good luck too and Cor lead the group away from the garage, to the very edge of the bright lights.  
There he stopped. 

“Can you explain why you dragged us out here instead of meeting up in Lestallum now?”, Prompto asked.  
They were standing in a loose circle, all eyes on Cor.  
The marshal searched for words and then answered after a few heartbeats.  
“If this is going to work it'd be better if as few people as possible witness this.”  
“So what exactly is your plan?”, Iris asked, confused about Cor's words.  
“I suppose you're all familiar with Gentiana?”  
“You mean that beautiful lady that was always at Lady Lunafreya's side?”  
Cor nodded at Iris' question.  
“She revealed herself to Noctis”, Ignis explained to her. “She turned out to be Shiva all along.”  
Iris' jaw dropped and she could only stare at them for a long moment.  
“Shiva? The goddess Shiva?”, she asked. “Why didn't you tell me?”  
She couldn't believe it.  
“Guess we forgot”, Gladio said with an apologetic smile.  
“How can you forget something like _this_?”, Iris sounded furious and glared at her brother.  
“I can't believe it, Gladdy!” 

“You sound like you're familiar with her as well”, Ignis interrupted her and looked in Cor's direction.  
“I am. She saved me after I lost the trial against Gilgamesh.”  
“Saved you?”, Iris asked. “But Cor, I thought-”  
“That I walked away from that battle?” He shook his head. “He almost killed me. I was on the verge of death. If she hadn't found me, I probably wouldn't be here right now.”  
“Really? In all the stories I've heard it sounded like Gilgamesh decided to let you live after witnessing your abilities.”  
Cor only snorted.  
“I was a stubborn kid when I challenged him. Fifteen years old. I didn't know anything”, he answered. “But when Gladiolus asked me if there was a way to get the weapons out of Noctis' armiger I had an idea. Gentiana used magic to heal me back then. And since she's a goddess and therefore a magical creature herself she should be able to use it even now. Maybe she can help us.” 

“And what exactly do you need us for?”, Gladiolus wanted to know.  
“Well, she never had access to Noctis' armiger, so I figured she would need us for some sort of connection.”  
Ignis nodded slowly, the others still looked a bit unsure.  
“And how exactly do we summon her?”, Prompto asked. “I guess there's no secret spell or ritual for something like this?”  
“If there's one I've never heard of it”, the marshal replied. “And that's the problem. I'm not sure what we can do.”  
It got quiet for a few moments, everyone was deep in their own thoughts.  
“Maybe we could just... think of her?” Iris had spoken, all eyes were on her.  
She seemed to be shying away for a split second but Cor encouraged her to keep talking. 

“You said she would need us for some sort of connection to Noct's armiger. Maybe we need our own connections to her to summon her. I mean she's a goddess, right? She'll know if we call her and if she sees that we need her help, I'm sure she will appear.”  
“This could be worth a try”, Ignis admitted while Gladio looked proudly at his little sister. “We should make sure to think of the most meaningful memory we have of her”, Cor added thoughtfully.  
The others nodded.  
“Right, okay...” Cor closed his eyes to focus on his task.  
He had many encounters with Gentiana over the years but the one that meant the most to him had to be their very first meeting. 

 

~  
 

This was the end.  
This had to be the end.  
How could he have been so foolish?  
Why did he think he could defeat the blademaster?  
Cor stared up at the blue sky above him.  
The air around him felt hot but he had never been colder. His breathing was ragged, blood still oozed out of countless wounds, his left arm felt numb, his shoulder burned.  
He blinked slowly, his vision blurred.  
In his mind he heard Clarus' words again and again.  
Cor grit his teeth. He should have listened to him, to all of them.  
Now he was going to die.  
Every second felt like an eternity as he stared up at clouds with hazy blue eyes.  
He was quickly getting cold now and soon he started to shiver violently.  
The young soldier screwed his eyes shut and tried not to move.  
Suddenly an icy breeze washed over him and he opened his eyes again slowly.  
Cor let out a small gasp as he realized that the rocks and the stone walls surrounding him were covered in ice.  
He looked around but didn't see anyone at first.  
Only a second later he saw a faint glow in front of him and Cor shielded his eyes with a bloody hand as the light got brighter. It was gone as soon as it had appeared and Cor blinked a couple of times, confused if this had really happened.  
He almost let out a scream when he looked up and saw a beautiful young woman with long black hair and green eyes smiling warmly at him. She was dressed in a royal looking robe held in mostly black, gold and white.  
Cor could only stare at her.  
She smiled brighter and came closer until she could kneel down at Cor's side.  
When she reached out for him, he tried to back away and winced when pain surged through his body.  
“Don't be afraid, young Cor Leonis”, the woman said, her voice soothing him instantly. “This is not the end. You have an important duty to fulfil.”  
With that she'd softly touched his cheek and Cor let out a surprised sound as he felt healing magic wash over him, mending most of his wounds. He looked up at the mysterious woman with bright blue eyes. She only chuckled lightly and then pressed a finger to her lips.  
Cor understood and nodded as the woman got up and took a couple of steps backwards. “Wait!”, he managed to choke out. “Who are you?”  
“A friend”, she answered and smiled again. “We will see each other again.”  
And in the blink of an eye she was gone and with her the cold, the ice and snow.  
Cor wondered for a long time if that encounter really happened or if he'd just imagined it.  
~  
 

The same icy breeze that he had felt back then now surrounded the small group, Iris and Prompto let out surprised sounds, Ignis pressed himself closer to Gladio's side.  
Cor opened his eyes just in time to see the faint glow fade away, revealing Gentiana standing in the middle of their circle.  
She looked around for a moment, meeting everyone's surprised gazes before her eyes rested on Cor.  
The oldest of the group let out a small breath. 

“I wasn't sure if you were gonna show up”, he admitted and took a step forward.  
Gentiana smiled softly and stepped forward until she was right in front of Cor.  
“I will always be there when you call”, she answered and softly caressed the marshal's cheek.  
Cor leaned into the touch for a second.  
Everyone else was surprised by the intensity of the little gesture. It seemed intimate, like they'd done this many times before.  
It lasted only a heartbeat before Cor pulled away.  
“We need your help”, he then said. 

“I know, the armiger”, she responded and took a step back.  
“Can you help us get the weapons?”, Prompto asked. The blond was shivering, he hated the cold.  
The Glacian nodded.  
“Yes, but it will be difficult since King Noctis is somewhere I can barely reach him.”  
“The crystal?”, Iris asked quietly, her brother nodded at her.  
“Can you feel where Noctis is?”, she asked and looked at Gentiana. “Can you really sense him?”  
“Yes, dear. But he's far away, trapped in a world of dreams and nightmares called the Omen-world.”  
“What's he doing there?”, Gladio dared to ask.  
Gentiana, now eyes closed again turned to the shield.  
“Fighting for his life, fighting for his friends life, I can not tell for sure. But he is alive.”

Everyone in the group was relieved to hear these words, Prompto even smiled a bit.  
“I will need all of you to get to the weapons”, Gentiana continued. “Your connections to the king is what will make this possible. Gladiolus, shall we start with you?”  
She turned to him, a questioning look on her face.  
“I'm ready”, the shield stated, no doubt in his voice.  
He let go of Ignis and stepped forward.  
Gladio wouldn't show the others that he was scared inside, he didn't know what to expect after all.  
He nodded when Gentiana shot him another questioning look and she reached out to touch Gladio's temple with two fingers.  
The touch itself was ice cold and Gladio instantly felt like he'd been paralysed.  
However he didn't have time to think about it when everything around him turned black for a second. Then he felt like he'd been thrown into a whirlwind of colours, everything around him moved and it made him feel dizzy.  
Then all of a sudden it stopped and he looked at himself. 

The shield instantly recognized the scene before him. Ignis was there, pressing a few paper towels against the fresh cut on his face.  
Noctis stood in front of him, trying to apologize for something.  
It was the day he got the first scar on his face, caused by some drunk guy who'd almost attacked Noct because of something so insignificant that Gladio couldn't remember what it was anymore.  
The guy had smashed his glass bottle and was about to attack the prince when Gladio had pushed his friend out of the way, taking the hit for him.  
It hadn't hurt too bad at first but Gladio had been fuming.  
One punch was all it took for him to knock that guy out. 

Only a second later Ignis and Noctis had checked if he was okay, the cut had been bleeding heavily and if Gladio didn't have such big luck, it could have been worse.  
He could've been blind in one eye even.  
Gladio wasn't sure why he saw this exact scene but it changed before he could think about it further.  
Everything faded to black once more before another memory flooded his mind.  
He recognized his surroundings instantly.  
It was the train they had taken to Tenebrae on the day he got so mad at Noctis.  
Gladio still felt bad for it years later. He knew it was probably what Noctis needed to hear, but he should have never been so harsh.  
When he saw himself shoving Prompto away he looked at the floor.  
Prompto hadn't talked to him for a long time after that and Gladio felt all the more sorrier for what he did to him only a couple of weeks ago.  
Soon the scene faded away and for a split second he thought he saw Noctis in the dark before he was in Hammerhead again. 

A glowing blue light surrounded him and after a moment he recognized the shapes of some of his great-swords dancing around him.  
“Go on, you can now take them.”  
Almost hesitantly Gladio reached out and went for the first. He let out a surprised sound when it materialized in his hand, then he grinned and went for the next.  
There were six of his own in total that now lay at his feet.  
However, the last one he took was the Genji blade that once belonged to Cor.  
The marshal could only stare at it for a moment. Then the glow around the shield faded away.  
Gladio had trouble processing what had just happened, the memories still present in his mind but he looked at Gentiana and bowed lightly.  
“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart”, he said and meant it. 

Gentiana only smiled at him, then she moved on to Iris. “Shall we, my dear?”, she asked. Iris looked uncertain at first, casting short glances at her brother and Cor who both smiled reassuringly.  
“Okay”, she finally said.  
It was weird for Gladio seeing it from the outside. His sister was practically frozen to the spot, her dark eyes were wide open, staring at something only she could see.  
The silence was probably the weirdest thing about it. Iris smiled for a few moments before looking confused. Gladio was almost certain he could see tears in her eyes but only a couple of heartbeats later Iris was back in the here and now.  
There was a faint glow surrounding her too.  
Gladio knew she didn't have much left in the armiger, only two daggers and a couple of curatives but they needed everything they could get.  
Iris blinked a couple of times before collecting her items.  
Once she was done she smiled up at Gentiana.  
“Thank you”, she said quietly.  
The Glacian smiled back and made her way over to Ignis next. 

“Can I ask you a question first?”, the advisor asked before Gentiana could say anything.  
“Of course.”  
“Why is it that I am one of the few people left who can use magic?”  
“I can not say for sure”, Gentiana replied after a few heartbeats. “Maybe it has something to do with Noctis, maybe the crystal is responsible. I fear you will have to wait for an answer until King Noctis comes back.”  
Ignis didn't seem satisfied but he gave her a small nod and took off his glasses.  
“I'm ready”, he said, composed as ever.  
Gladio stayed close to him as Gentiana started the ritual. 

Ignis didn't react much different than Iris at first.  
He tensed up and his one eye stared into nothing.  
However no one expected to see Ignis tear up almost instantly.  
He smiled at first, a single tear rolling down his cheek. Painfully slow seconds passed and Ignis' expression changed from happy to disbelieving to suffering.  
Gladio was about to step forward but Cor held him back with a sharp “Don't!”.  
It was over quickly but Ignis looked absolutely distraught once Gentiana stepped back.  
The blue light surrounding him was stronger than the one around Gladio or Iris and Ignis' weapons looked crystal clear.  
The advisor needed a moment before he reached for them one by one, absolutely certain where to put his hands as if he was able to see them.  
He didn't put them on the ground carefully like the others had done, instead he just dropped them to the ground and as soon as he had all of them he turned his back to Gentiana.  
“Gladio”, he choked out, stumbling towards his boyfriend.  
Gladio pulled him close as soon as he reached him.  
What in the world did Ignis see?  
He watched helplessly as Ignis started to cry into his shirt and looked over to Gentiana who had already turned to Prompto. 

“Shall we start?”  
Prompto had to take a deep breath before he was able to nod.  
When Gentiana touched his temple he was paralysed like everyone before him. The only difference was that he showed no reaction whatsoever for a long moment.  
Gladio and Iris looked at each other for a second unsure if everything was alright. The siblings both flinched when Prompto seemed to snap out of it with a sharp gasp all of a sudden.  
But Gentiana was still touching him and he was still staring into nothing but his hands reached for Gentiana's and tried to pull it away.  
The blond let out an agonized sound and slowly sunk to his knees.  
“What's happening to him?”, Ignis asked but Gladio couldn't answer his question.  
Soon it was over and Prompto doubled over on his knees and had to take a couple of very deep breaths to make sure he was okay.  
He still seemed distressed when he looked up but soon the blue light lit up around him too and he grabbed everything, before slowly getting to his feet.  
His knees felt a bit wobbly though and he was glad when Iris came over to him and helped supporting him. 

“Are you okay?”, she asked quietly, barely concealed worry in her voice.  
“Y-Yeah, I think so...”, Prompto answered after a moment. “It was just... intense, I guess...” Iris nodded understandingly.  
“Do you know if Cor had something stored in Noct's armiger?”, she asked.  
“I'm not sure...”  
Prompto turned around to ask the marshal but he could only stare at the sight, his jaw dropped. 

Cor and Gentiana were... kissing?  
Prompto knew it was impolite to stare but he just didn't expect to see this.  
Gladio seemed surprised too. After a long moment the two broke apart and when Cor exhaled his breath was visible for a moment, then he smiled and the Glacian smiled back at him.  
“I can't thank you enough”, the marshal said and softly caressed her cheek as she had done with him before.  
“There's no need to thank me”, she answered. “Whenever you need me, you just have to call.”  
Cor nodded. 

“It's time for me to go now”, Gentiana added and gave the marshal one last kiss on the lips before turning to the other ones.  
“Farewell my dear friends”, she said. “We will see each other again. Until then you have to take care of yourselves and each other.”  
Everyone nodded.  
“We will!”, Iris promised.  
“I believe in you”, the Glacian said and within mere seconds she was gone. The cold vanished with her, the ice was nowhere to be seen. 

“Damn, I'll need days to process everything that happened today”, Gladio mumbled to himself.  
“Me too”, Prompto added quietly.  
Iris was the only one that still seemed to function properly.  
“Cor, you kissed one of the _Six_!”, she exclaimed and stared at him with wide eyes.  
“I am aware of that”, Cor answered sounding amused.  
“You never told us! How long have you known her? Have you done this before?”  
“This is a story for another time”, the marshal answered. “We have work to do. Let's gather our weapons and head back to Lestallum. Are you good to drive, Gladiolus?”  
The shield nodded.  
“Alright. Let's get going.” 

When they passed the garage Cor noticed Cid following every last one of his movements with his eyes.  
“What is it, Cid?”, he sighed.  
His old friend only chuckled quietly.  
“I knew it'd work”, he stated. “After all, she has always been very fond of you.”  
“Oh, shut up”, Cor groaned.  
Cid just laughed louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Sorry it took me so long but I had to work a lot and then my birthday came up and yeaaah, took me forever to start editing this but it's finally here!!  
> I've read through the FF wikia page of the royal arms & armiger and I'm still not a hundred percent sure if I got everything right but I imagine that all the weapons of our boys were stored in the armiger when Noctis vanished into the crystal and afterwards they couldn't summon them anymore cause their connection with Noctis was kind of blocked / cut off after the events in Gralea.  
> Plus I really liked the idea of Gentiana / Shiva helping them to get the weapons back! :)
> 
> The idea of Cor & Gentiana knowing each other for a long time originally came from tumblr user haprilona and their wonderful art, please check out their blog!!
> 
> If you're curious about what everyone else saw in their visions, don't worry, it will all be revealed soon :)
> 
> I hope chapter 8 won't take me as long as this one, so keep an eye out for it!  
> Until next time!
> 
> Lucy x
> 
> (Next chapter: Prompto falls asleep at his work table, Ignis and Prompto have a heart to heart and Gladio is a big softie ^.^)


	8. Drown In The Now

Prompto blinked.   
Then he blinked again.   
He shook his head weakly. He needed to stay awake, he was almost done with this.   
The blond stared at the equipment, notes and books laid out on the desk and tried to remember what he was supposed to do next.   
But his mind was blank.   
He yawned.   
Maybe if he closed his eyes for a couple of minutes... surely that would help him remember.   
Without thinking twice he folded his arms on the tabletop and leaned his head against them.   
Seconds later he was fast asleep. 

~

Ignis took a deep breath as he closed the door of the caravan.   
He could hear Gladio's footsteps getting quieter as he walked to his car.   
A moment later the engine roared to life. Ignis listened until he couldn't hear the truck anymore and sighed deeply.   
Why would they always call Gladio to the emergency hunts?   
Why not Prompto or one of the glaives?   
Why not him?   
Ignis shook his head before he could think about the last question too much.   
He knew fair well why not him. 

He couldn't suppress an annoyed sound and thought about what to do now.   
He considered going back to bed but deep down he already knew he wouldn't be able to sleep without Gladio at his side.   
He'd gotten so used to it in the past months, his mind wouldn't let him sleep until he knew Gladio was nearby.   
He knew that Prompto was in Hammerhead as well, the boy had spend days here now and was working on something.   
Ignis didn't know what it was but Prompto put a lot of time and effort into it.   
Cindy had told him that the blond had fallen asleep at his desk yesterday.   
Ignis decided that he'd pay his friend a visit. 

To be honest he was concerned for his well being.   
It had only been a week since the encounter with Gentiana and the day after Prompto had returned here and practically buried himself in his work.   
And if he wasn't working he joined the others for a hunt or trained by himself.   
Ignis knew something was up, he just didn't know what exactly.   
Not yet. 

He left the caravan and made his was over to the garage.   
He had walked this way a lot of times in the past few days so he had no problem finding the entrance.   
The shutter was still open and Ignis slipped inside, one hand resting on the wall beside him. He used it to guide him and had his other arm stretched out in front of him so he wouldn't run into something.   
He could hear someone snoring softly by now and soon he had reached the work table in the corner of the garage.   
“Prompto?”   
He carefully reached out and shook his friend gently awake by the shoulder.   
It took a moment until Prompto made a noise, Ignis couldn't decide if it was annoyed or just sleepy. 

Prompto raised his head.   
“Ignis? What are you doing here?”   
For a split second he thought about lying to Prompto but it would be of no use.   
And it wouldn't be fair either.   
So he sighed before explaining: “Gladio has been called for an emergency hunt and I found myself unable to sleep without him at my side.”   
Ignis swore he could hear Prompto's smile.   
“The big guy really means a lot to you, doesn't he?”  
The advisor wasn't sure if Prompto expected an answer because he actually had been the first one to figure out that there was something going on between them.   
But after a long yawn Prompto kept on talking. 

“Thanks for waking me up, though. I wanted to finish this before-”   
“You're not finishing this now, Prom", Ignis interrupted him. "I know you fell asleep at your desk yesterday as well.”   
The blond looked up. Ignis' blind eye stared into his own and he tried hard to not look away.   
“Whatever it is you're working on can wait.”   
When Ignis spoke the next words his voice was a lot softer.   
“How about you come back to the caravan with me? I got some leftover food if you're hungry.”   
Prompto's stomach growled at the thought of Ignis' food and he got up almost immediately.   
“It wouldn't... happen to be something spicy?”, he asked hopefully.   
Ignis smiled.   
“It is your lucky day. I made some curry this evening. Although I fear it's still not as good as what I used to make back then.”   
“If it's something you made it'll be fantastic”, Prompto objected.   
He tried to sound as cheery as ever but he quietly thanked the Six that Ignis wasn't able to see the look he just gave him.   
It seemed like Ignis wasn't in the best condition either. 

Prompto offered Ignis his arm and together they made their way back to the caravan.   
He was actually glad that Ignis had come for him now, he couldn't remember when he'd last eaten properly.   
“I'll just warm it up for you quickly”, Ignis said while heading over to the small stove.   
For a second Prompto wanted to tell him that he could do it himself but he closed his mouth before he could say something.   
Cooking had always helped Ignis to calm down, it had always distracted him.   
He'd never said it out loud but it was obvious to Prompto, the blond had witnessed it many times.   
Whenever Ignis had been deep in thought or worried he'd concentrate extra hard on making a perfect dish for them. Often he'd even surprise them with a delicious dessert of some sort.   
So Prompto quietly thanked him and sat down at the small table behind Ignis. 

It was quiet between them for a moment before Ignis spoke up.   
“So what is it that you're working on? I believe you never told me.”   
“Huh? Oh I've been trying to build a new kind of grenade...”   
“Really?”, Ignis asked, sounding impressed.   
“Yeah. I can't use magic like you but normal grenades are built with explosives that you just have to light. I always carry some of the small ones with me and while they saved my ass a couple of times I still think they could be more efficient.   
So I'm trying to build my own right now. Essentially they're round and about the size of a tennis ball but they're made from five parts. Four shell parts and one core part, each of them is filled with explosives that can be detonated with the press of a button.   
Oh yeah, you can control them with a small remote by the way. With five explosive parts it's gonna be like the powerful spells Noctis used to cast, you know? Like the ones that hit multiple times.   
The five chambers can also be split apart with the press of a button so they can cover a wider range of influence when used in battle.   
I've read a lot about different chemicals but I don't have the perfect mixture yet. Everything I've tried out so far was too weak.” 

Ignis was quiet after Prompto's explanation and the blond started picking at his fingers, the silence irritated him.   
“What is it?”, he then asked.   
“I just... well I guess I wasn't expecting that”, Ignis admitted. “I always knew you were interested in that sort of stuff, Noctis would often talk about it but that sounds like a pretty big deal if you ask me.”   
“You think so?”   
Prompto was genuinely surprised at Ignis' statement, but the advisor nodded.   
“Once you figure out the perfect way to build these grenades, they could help us all.” Prompto felt his chest swell with pride at the words and only a moment later Ignis placed a small bowl of curry in front of him.   
“I hope you like it”, he said, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.   
“Smells amazing”, Prompto answered before he started eating.   
The curry tasted heavenly and Prompto let out a long sigh.   
“This is the best thing I've eaten in ages!”, he exclaimed and Ignis smiled at him. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes and soon Prompto's bowl was empty.   
He leaned back and stretched his legs out.   
“Thanks again, Iggy”, he said.   
“No need to thank me”, the advisor reassured him. “But Prompto... may I ask you something?”   
Prompto sat up a bit straighter.   
“Yeah, sure”, he answered although he knew it must sound uncertain.   
“Are you okay? You've been here for a week now and you barely do anything else than working and hunting. Are Shiva's visions still troubling you? Is that why you bury yourself in your work and only sleep when you're too exhausted for anything else?” 

“Yes”, Prompto admitted almost immediately. “Yes... they're the reason I can't sleep at night... but I'm not the only one, right? What about you?”   
Ignis remained silent for a second too long.   
“I knew it... It's easier when Gladio's here, isn't it?”   
Ignis only nodded.   
“May I ask what you saw in your visions?”   
Prompto almost didn't dare to ask but he had never seen Ignis cry until a week ago.   
It had shocked him to be honest. 

“Well... first I relived an old memory I share with Noctis.   
He was a little kid back then, maybe about six years old, I was eight... I don't remember what happened exactly but we were playing around in the citadel and he broke something, I think it might have been an old vase, it was definitely made of glass... and Noctis got scared when it shattered only inches away from him.   
He looked at me with his huge blue eyes and I think he was close to crying. And of course someone heard it and only a moment later Cor came around the corner and demanded to know what happened.”   
Ignis paused and smiled at Prompto.   
“You've only known him for a couple of years but believe me when I tell you he was a lot scarier in his early thirties. Of course we all knew him and we also knew he would never harm us but he was the Immortal after all. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see the tears in Noctis' and so I decided to take the blame.   
I told Cor that it had been my fault the vase had broken because I didn't pay enough attention while playing with Noctis.” 

Ignis chuckled.   
“Luckily Noct didn't deny my words but deep down I always assumed that Cor knew I was lying. But Noctis' behaviour towards me changed after that. I had been assigned to be his advisor at age six but after that incident we grew very close.”   
“And it made you sentimental, huh?”, Prompto asked with a smile on his lips, his head in one hand.   
“Yes, but that wasn't the reason I...”   
Ignis didn't finish his sentence and the blond wondered why the advisor had a problem saying 'started to cry' out loud.   
“Why then?”, he wanted to know.   
“Because I could see it, Prompto. I could really _see_ it! As if I had never lost my vision, the pictures were crystal clear. I have never had an experience like this after the events in Altissia... I do see certain people or scenes in my mind when I dream or remember something but it has never been the way it was before I lost my sight anymore.”   
“Oh...”   
Prompto hadn't expected this and suddenly he felt guilty for asking. 

Ignis cleared his throat before continuing.   
“The next thing I saw was a talk I had with Gladio but I saw it from Noctis' point of view. I never knew he overheard it... It was after the fight with the Marlboro.”   
“The one where you saved our asses?”   
“Yes, that one”, the advisor confirmed. “Surely you remember the talk we had before getting attacked?”   
Prompto made an affirmative noise. He didn't like thinking back to it.   
“I tried not to let it show back then but I was angry about Gladio's behaviour. I hated how he would talk to Noctis - if he did talk to him in the first place - and the words he said at the royal tomb... they hurt. I have never felt so betrayed by him.   
I knew I said I would stay behind should I be of no use for you but I wanted to stay. And later that night after we all had calmed down and were back on the train... Gladio came to me.”

Ignis smiled at the memory.   
“He apologized. Countless times. He told me he loved me and that he would always want me by his side. We both knew our duty was -and still is- to Noctis of course. But...”   
Ignis struggled to find words but Prompto thought he understood already.   
“However”, Ignis continued after a moment. “Noctis heard all this. I never even knew but I saw this memory from his point of view... and he was angry, Prompto, so terribly angry. He asked himself all of these horrible questions.   
Why couldn't Gladio apologize to him? Why was it so easy for Gladio to talk to me like that? He was unbelievably envious. And in that exact moment it made me realize how much he had truly lost. I don't know how to describe it, Prompto, but Noctis felt alone. Even after we all made up after the fight. And it got even worse after we lost you when the empire attacked.”   
Prompto looked down at his feet and tried not to think back to that time.   
And he certainly tried to not think of his own visions. 

“I think I understand why you looked so shocked now...”, he mumbled. “Do you... have any idea why we saw what we saw? Why was this all important to our connection with Noctis?” “Gladio has asked me the same question before”, Ignis admitted. “Personally, I believe these visions showed us the moments when Noctis had strong positive as well as negative emotions towards us. Gladio told me what he saw and it certainly would make sense. When I relived that first memory I knew this was the moment where Noctis knew I would always be there for him and help him in every situation I could. This may sound silly to you, since we were only kids back then, but I saw it in Noct's eyes, Prompto.   
And for the talk with Gladio... I know Noctis doesn't hate me but in that moment he wanted what I had and I can't even be mad about that.   
He's been through so much since we left Insomnia, he deserved someone at his side that would take care of him like Gladio did with me.” 

“Yeah, he did...”, Prompto said quietly. “I think your theory is correct by the way. It would explain why I saw all this...”   
He fell silent and didn't know how to continue.   
“Do you want to talk about it?”, Ignis asked, his voice gentle.   
Prompto wanted to decline.   
But he also knew he couldn't run away forever.   
“Alright”, he breathed and thought about where to start.   
“When I underwent the ritual I was thrown into a literal hurricane of memories. There were so many, Iggy... I remember days at the arcade, lazy weekends at Noct's apartment, the day when we first rented our chocobo's, that one stormy night we spent in our tent at a haven just playing cards for hours, the first evening at Galdin Quay where we all sat on the beach and watched the sunset and so much more.” 

“You may not know this but Noctis became a much happier and brighter person once you two became friends”, Ignis said to him.   
“Really?”, Prompto asked. “He still seemed kinda grumpy to me.”   
Ignis chuckled quietly.   
“Well, some things are never gonna change but Noctis didn't have many friends growing up. Once you stepped into his life something changed about him. He had always needed a friend like you. I suppose that is why some of these seemingly normal memories you saw are among the happiest for Noctis.”   
Prompto felt his heart ache at these words but he couldn't help but smile.   
“Well, he wasn't the only one who needed a friend...”   
The words slipped out before he even thought about them and immediately after he bit his lip. He didn't want to show his vulnerability to Ignis like that.   
But the advisor only reached out and put his hand on Prompto's for a moment.   
Prompto took a deep breath before he gently pulled his hand away. 

“I don't know what to think of the other things I saw”, he admitted and started picking at his hands again.   
“The first thing I remember is... is Noct on top of that train. I could feel what he felt. Desperation. Guilt. And Anger. Most of it was directed at me, wasn't it?”   
“Yes... Noctis was devastated when he realized what he had done.   
He called me right away and begged me to stop the train so we could go looking for you. But that wasn't possible.   
Noctis fought against a horde of daemons until the Hydrean showed up and help us. Once the train stopped only minutes later Gladio and me stormed outside to look for him.   
He was still on top of the train and once he saw us he collapsed from exhaustion. When he woke up again he first asked about you, he was worried sick.   
He was never angry about you, don't think that. You know him, Prompto.” 

Prompto thought about these words and nodded after a while.   
“Yeah, you're right”, he mumbled. “Thanks Iggy.”   
“Anytime.”   
The blond tried to concentrate again.   
“After that I remember looking at myself but I had glowing red eyes and I wore magitech armour. I was covered in blood. And... and Noctis attacked me, he said horrible things, I couldn't bear it... the last thing I saw was myself laying on the floor, everything around me was black but I heard a loud roar, the ground was shaking and it kinda reminded me of Leviathan...   
Then it was over and I was here again.” 

Ignis was quiet for a long moment but he couldn't think of anything that would explain what Prompto saw.   
“Gentiana said Noctis is trapped in a world of dreams and nightmares,right? Maybe I saw one of Noct's nightmares?”, Prompto asked.   
“Possibly”, Ignis replied. “But I can not say for sure.”   
They fell silent again and Prompto looked outside the small window and up into the starless sky.   
“I just miss the time we all spend together”, he admitted and sighed. “These days felt so... easy, y'know? The hunts, setting up camp, exploring new places, spending the evenings playing King's Knight, riding chocobo's all day... I just miss it.”   
“You're certainly not alone with that thought.”   
Prompto looked back at the advisor when he said that. 

“I miss it too and it would Gladio do some good too to have a day like that again once in a while.”   
But both of them knew why they hadn't done something like playing cards all night or just talk for hours on end again.   
It's because Noctis wasn't here with them It would feel weird, maybe even wrong.   
And Prompto didn't want that. 

He sighed, then he yawned quietly.   
“Do you want to go to sleep now?”, Ignis asked.   
“Nah, I'm not that tired yet”, Prompto said knowing he didn't sound convincing but too proud to change his answer. “Could you maybe tell the story again about that one time Gladio and Noctis got in trouble with some of the glaives when they were kids? Y'know the one where you single-handedly saved their asses?”   
“You know that one by heart”, Ignis stated.   
“Pretty please?”   
Ignis smiled, then he nodded.   
“Since you asked so nicely.” 

Prompto listened intently as the advisor started to tell the old story once more.   
Ignis' calm voice and the story helped Prompto relax and forget about Gentiana's visions.   
It also made him sleepy pretty quickly and by the end of the story he was fast asleep in his chair.   
“Prom?”, Ignis asked quietly but he was only answered with light snoring. 

~

When Gladio came back a couple of hours later he was surprised to see his boyfriend as well as Prompto asleep at the table.   
Prompto had leaned back in his chair and was snoring lightly but Ignis stirred awake when he heard the heavy footsteps.   
“Gladio”, he whispered sleepily. “Are you unharmed?”   
“Yes, nobody's gotten hurt”, the shield answered and bowed down to give Ignis a kiss on the forehead. “Although quite a couple hunters were missing because they weren't feeling well, that's why they called me.”   
“Let's hope they get back on their feet soon. A spreading disease is the last thing we need right now.”   
Gladio made an approving noise, then he looked at the blond. 

“What's Prompto doing here? And why have you both fallen asleep at the table?”   
“Well, I couldn't sleep once you were gone but I knew he was here as well, so I decided to pay him a visit since I was a little worried about him. He had fallen asleep at his desk so I woke him up and lured him back here with the promise of food. We talked for a long while and somewhere along the lines we both fell asleep I guess.”   
Gladio chuckled.   
“And I always thought Noct was the only one who could fall asleep in a place like this.”   
Ignis smiled at the words.   
“Can you do me a favour?”, he then asked.   
“Anything.”   
“Could you carry Prompto into bed? He's had a rough couple of days and certainly needs it more than we do.”   
“And where are we gonna sleep?”   
“I suppose the couch will do for one night”, Ignis mused. “Besides, it gives me an excuse to cuddle even closer to you.”   
Now it was Gladio's turn to smile and he pressed a soft kiss to Ignis' lips.   
“I'll be right back.” 

He stepped over to Prompto and lifted him in his arms, the blond kept snoring as if nothing had happened.   
Very carefully Gladio made his way over to the small bedroom part of the caravan and put Prompto down on the soft mattress.   
He pulled off his boots and put one of the blankets over him that the boy immediately started to nestle into.   
“Sleep well, champ”, Gladio murmured with a soft smile before collecting Ignis' and his own sleep clothes and a blanket as well as a pillow and leaving the room quietly. 

“Did he wake up?”, Ignis asked as the shield returned.   
“Nah, sleeps like the dead”, he answered. “I got us our clothes.”   
They both changed in silence and once they were done Gladio suddenly swept Ignis off his feet and into his arms.   
The advisor who wasn't expecting this let out a surprised sound and instantly clung to his boyfriend.   
“I got you”, the older man promised and placed a kiss on Ignis' temple.   
“Just warn me next time, alright?”   
“Sure.”   
He carried his lover over to the couch and laid down with him, Ignis instantly worked on getting comfortable on top of Gladio.   
The shield put the blanket over them and put his arms around Ignis' back to keep him in place.   
Ignis let out a content sigh once he was comfortable and listened to Gladio's heartbeat for a moment.   
“Are you okay?”, the shield asked quietly.   
“Yeah, I'm better now that you're here. The talk I had with Prompto though... it made me think. We have got to keep an eye on him.”   
“We will”, Gladio reassured him.   
Ignis calmed down when he felt the older one gently carding through his hair.   
“I love you, darling.”   
Ignis smiled sleepily.   
“I love you too”, he answered, shortly after his eyes fluttered shut.   
“Sweet dreams, love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, weheeey!  
> Took me longer than I wanted to but I think it turned out alright!  
> Ignis is always so challenging to write, maybe that's why it's taken me so long haha  
> Anyway I hope u all like it!  
> See y'all next time!  
> Lucy x
> 
> (next chapter: Prom is back in Lestallum, drinks a lot of tea and gets flustered :) )


	9. High Fever

Prompto felt kind of weird as he walked up the stairs to Cor's and his room in the Leville.   
It had been two day since he had his heart to heart with Ignis and after a good night's sleep he had felt much better.   
He had taken some time to keep working on the prototype of his grenade but he'd known he had to return to Lestallum soon.   
He couldn't miss out on any more training with Cor, practising alone just didn't do the trick for him since he still struggled a lot. 

When he opened the door now he was surprised to find the room empty.   
The blond closed the door and put away his bag, before walking into the kitchen space.   
He spotted a note on the table nearby and quickly read it over. 

“Will be back this evening,   
there was a hunt that couldn't wait.   
Cor” 

Prompto chewed on his bottom lip thinking about the words.   
They had a preassigned routine, every hunter was supposed to go on hunts for three days in a row before having a day off.   
Prompto kept track of his schedule as well as Cor's.   
It should have been his day off today.   
Maybe it had been an emergency? Or he had to fill in for someone else?   
Gladio had mentioned that some hunters had fallen ill a couple of days ago, that was most likely the reason Cor wasn't here. 

Prompto glanced at the clock next to the window.   
It would be early evening soon. It still felt weird to think about things like mornings or afternoons since the sun didn't rise anymore and it was constantly dark.   
But Prompto's inner clock was spot on most of the times and he decided to start making dinner.   
He hadn't cooked in weeks although he was pretty decent at it and Cor surely would appreciate it if he came home and there was some food waiting for him. 

He decided for an old recipe that he'd learned from Ignis, rice, scrambled eggs with chopped tomatoes in them and some little chicken bits.   
It was simple but Prompto could never get enough of it and he was sure Cor would like it too.   
Soon he got to work while humming one of his favourite songs that had been stuck in his head since yesterday and didn't realize how quickly time moved.   
He was almost surprised when he heard the door being opened and closed again a second later. 

“Hey”, Prompto called from his spot at the stove. “Dinner will be ready in five!”   
“Thanks, Prompto”, Cor said quietly and got rid of his jacket.   
Prompto turned around and looked the marshal up and down, he looked exhausted.   
“Was a tough hunt, hm?”, he asked and turned to the pan again.   
“Yeah”, Cor answered. “I'll just get a quick shower, will be right back.”   
Prompto nodded and concentrated on seasoning their food right.   
A few minutes later everything was ready and Prompto set up everything on the table as Cor left the bathroom in dark sweatpants and a grey shirt. 

“I made it after a recipe I learned from Ignis”, Prompto explained and sat down. “I hope you like it.”   
“That looks really good”, Cor admitted and sat across from the blond.   
Prompto smiled and they began eating quietly.   
Prompto was really pleased with himself, it was probably one of the best meals he'd ever done.   
“Hey Cor, I uh... I have been thinking about some stuff that has to do with our training”, he eventually said.   
Cor looked up and raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything.   
“Well, I thought maybe we could...” 

Prompto listed a couple of things actually but he was interrupted by a quiet “Prom, can this wait?” shortly after.   
The blond was silent for a heartbeat before asking for the reason, he sounded confused. “I... I don't feel that well...”   
Prompto took a closer look at Cor and noticed that he was paler than usual and seemed to sweat a bit.   
“What's wrong?”, Prompto asked concerned and stood up.   
“I don't know, I just wanna lay down for a while”, the older one answered and slowly got to his feet.   
As Prompto rounded the table he also noticed that Cor hadn't really touched his food and that made him worry even more.   
“C'mon”, he murmured and stayed close to Cor as he stepped over to the bed. 

Cor felt a bit dizzy and he actually fell more into bed than actually laying down.   
He groaned quietly and turned onto his back, trying to make himself comfortable without moving too much.   
Prompto's gaze went soft as he leaned down and put the blanket carefully over Cor.   
He also readjusted his pillow before backing away.   
“Do you need anything?”, the blond asked.   
Cor shook his head weakly.   
“Could you just turn off the lights?”   
Prompto immediately fulfilled the request and Cor sighed.   
“Much better, thanks.”   
“Just call me if you need something, okay?”   
Cor made an approving sound and Prompto left the bedside and went back to the kitchen. He quickly remembered to put a glass of water on the bedside table for Cor before he put the leftovers in the fridge and started cleaning the kitchen utensils. 

All the thoughts about the training had vanished and Prompto prayed to the Six that Cor wasn't about to fall ill.   
Enough of the other hunter weren't able to fight at the moment, it would be even worse when the marshal had to stay away from hunts too.   
As soon as he was done in the kitchen Prompto checked on Cor but the older one had fallen asleep.   
“Good”, the blond thought. “I'll let him sleep and he stays here tomorrow, I can replace him for a day.” 

Soon Prompto got ready for bed and debated whether he should sleep on the couch or take his side of the bed.   
The couch would be a bit uncomfortable but he wanted Cor to get a good rest. Prompto knew he often tossed and turned in his sleep and he really didn't wanna wake the marshal up.   
But if he slept on his side Cor would be able to reach him immediately if something were to happen or should he feel worse.   
Prompto decided for the bed and tip toed his way across the room and lied down carefully. Cor had nestled completely into his and also Prompto's blanket as if he was cold.   
Prompto repressed a sigh and put on one of his black hoodies before trying to get comfortable with only one big pillow.   
He almost felt vulnerable without a blanket but Cor needed it more than him, so he tried to not let it bother him.   
It took him a while to get calm but when he finally did sleep overcame him quickly.

 

Unfortunately it didn't last very long.   
Only about two hours later Prompto was startled awake by faint noises to his right.   
He was about to tell Cor to stop snoring (cause he actually snored a lot – not super loud, but a lot) when he remembered what happened at dinnertime and opened his eyes. Prompto sat up slowly and rubbed at his eyes.   
“Cor, are you okay?”   
Prompto leaned over and looked down at the marshal.   
He squinted because he hadn't put his glasses on but even now he could see that Cor looked terrible.   
He had turned onto his side and was curled up, the covers were pulled up under his nose and he shivered slightly.   
Prompto got an unsettling feeling in his stomach and gently put his hand on Cor's forehead.

“Damn, Cor, you're burning up!”, Prompto wasn't able to conceal the worry in his voice.   
He stood up and snatched his glasses from the kitchen table before switching the lights on. Cor tried to hide under the blanket, the light was too much.   
“Fuck, sorry”, Prompto apologized and turned the lights down until the room was only dimly lit.   
He went over to Cor again and knelt down beside the bed.   
“Can you tell me how you're feeling?”, Prompto asked softly.   
Cor needed a long moment until he was able to answer and he was so quiet Prompto had problems understanding him.   
“M'cold 'n hot”, he murmured. “My head hurts...”   
Prompto nodded.   
“I'll try and help you, okay? Can you turn onto your back for me?”   
Cor looked like he wanted to protest but he tried to do as Prompto had asked him to.   
The marshal moved agonizingly slow and when he finally laid on his back he was breathing heavily, Prompto could see that he was pale as a ghost. 

“Very good”, Prompto said. “Now stay like this, okay? I'll be right back.”   
The blond raced into the bathroom and got two small towels and a wash cloth.   
He knew exactly what to do when someone had a fever, after all he was used to take care of himself since he was a kid.   
He gained a lot of knowledge over the years.   
He soaked the towels and the cloth in cold water before wringing them out and returning to Cor.   
“This will probably make you feel even more cold in the beginning but it will help”, he promised.   
Prompto pulled at the thick blankets until he had access to Cor's legs and wrapped the towels around his calves.   
Cor started squirming at the unfamiliar feeling but Prompto kept going and made sure they wouldn't peel off, afterwards he carefully put the blanket back.   
“Sorry, it's for your best”, he assured the older one and took the glass of water from the bedside table. 

“Can you drink a bit of water?”, Prompto asked.   
Cor was sweating a lot and he to compensate for that he had to drink.   
The marshal shook his head weakly and Prompto knew what he must feel like but he wouldn't give in.   
“Just a few sips is okay”, he added.   
Cor looked at him with half opened eyes and Prompto couldn't decide if he looked annoyed or miserable but Cor breathed an “Alright” at Prompto's pleading eyes.   
The blond helped him sit up the tiniest bit and raised the glass to his lips.   
Cor took a couple of small gulps before closing his eyes and turning his head away, signalling Prompto to stop.   
He helped him to lay back down and put the glass back on the table. 

“Well done”, he said and carefully placed the cloth on Cor's burning forehead.   
Cor whispered a small “Thanks, Prom” in return and the blond smiled warmly.   
“You'll feel better soon”, he promised.   
Prompto waited a couple of minutes until Cor was calm again before he searched their small kitchen for some peppermint tea and aspirin.   
Much to his irritation he couldn't find either.   
“Damn it, Cor”, he cursed. “You really should start drinking more tea instead of coffee.”   
He looked through their shelves once again but he couldn't find anything helpful at all.   
He sighed but maybe he could manage without all the stuff.   
Cor was a strong and healthy man after all, he should be able to recover quickly. 

Prompto headed over to the bed again and sat down on his side.   
He would need to stay awake to change the towels every half an hour and make sure that Cor rested properly.   
This would be a long night and it was only just past midnight.   
Prompto made himself comfortable as best as he could and picked up the novel he'd been trying to read earlier.   
Gladio had lent it to him when he'd left Hammerhead this morning and Prompto was grateful for it now.   
It gave him something to do.   
He set a timer on his phone and started reading. 

The first two hours were the hardest.   
Prompto was close to falling asleep multiple times, one time he almost slept for half an hour until the timer woke him up again.   
Cor was resting peacefully most of the time. Sometimes he would toss and turn for a bit but it never lasted long.   
It was half past three when Prompto decided to keep himself awake with some earl grey and music from his Ipod.   
It was almost four when he noticed that Cor's temperature increased instead of going down.   
He tried to think of what to do but he really couldn't do much more, he needed medicine.

His first idea was to call Monica but then he remembered she was at one of the outposts. It would take more than a day until she could get here.   
Ignis was in Old Lestallum as far as he knew, maybe he could send someone over and even if he couldn't Ignis would have an idea of what to do.   
Prompto tip toed over to the bathroom so Cor wouldn't hear him and dialled Ignis' number. He actually felt bad because it was the middle of the night and Ignis was probably sleeping alongside Gladio and he'd wake them both up with his call but they would understand.   
It only rang twice before Ignis accepted the call. 

“Prompto? Did something happen?”   
Of course the advisor knew Prompto wouldn't call without a good reason at this hour.   
“Hey Iggy, sorry to wake you up”, he began quietly. “But Cor has a pretty high fever and I haven't got anything here to treat it properly and I thought maybe you had something with you since you're always prepared for stuff like this...”   
“Yeah, I think I do. What do you need?” Prompto listed a couple of things that could help Cor.   
“Can you send someone over in the morning?”, Prompto asked, chewing on one of his nails.   
“That should be...” Prompto heard Gladio say something in the background and he and Ignis exchanged some words before Ignis continued.   
“Gladio said there is a small group of hunters and civilians that will leave for Lestallum in the morning. One of the glaives is with them, we will send him your way.” 

Prompto let out a relieved sigh.   
“Thank you, seriously”, he said. “What would I do without you?”   
“I hope you don't expect an answer to that question.”   
Prompto laughed quietly.   
“Nah, not really. Thanks again though, sorry for interrupting your sleep.”   
“Don't worry about us. And keep me up to date with the marshal's condition, would you?” “Sure thing, I'll call you later.”   
“Alright, good night, Prompto.”   
“Night, you two.”   
The blond hung up and returned to the bedroom. 

Cor seemed to be restless and Prompto sat down next to him.   
“Hey, are you okay? Is there something I can do for you?”, he asked.   
“Some more water?”   
Prompto nodded and got the glass. He helped Cor sit up again and helped him drink.   
Cor took a deep breath once he was done.   
“Can you get me 'nother pillow? I think I'd feel better if I... didn't lay flat on my back...” “Yeah sure”, Prompto answered and reached for his own pillow, positioning it behind Cor before helping him to lay back down. 

Cor sighed and closed his eyes, Prompto gently brushed some stray hair out of Cor's eyes. He needed a haircut soon.   
Cor seemed to relax at the little gesture.   
“Thanks for taking care of me, Prom...”, he murmured, already half asleep again. “You're like the son I never had...” 

Nothing could have prepared Prompto for these words.   
They almost shocked him at first.   
He pressed a hand on his mouth to keep himself from making any noise and closed his eyes when he felt tears sting at the corners of them.   
But then he smiled.   
He couldn't help the single tear that ran down his cheek but he smiled.   
“And you're like the father I never had...”, he admitted but he spoke so quietly and his voice sounded so broken that he wasn't sure if Cor heard him at all.   
Prompto blinked the tears away and looked down at Cor but he seemed to have fallen asleep again.   
The blond took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. 

It was true.   
He had always wished for a father like Cor.   
Someone who supported him, someone who looked after him, someone who cared.   
His foster parents had been away too often too long, Prompto grew up without knowing what it was like to be loved by his parents.   
And his real father?   
Prompto banned the thought from his mind.   
No, that man hadn't been his father, just a mad man that claimed Prompto was his own flesh and blood, that he was a Nif, an experiment.   
No, Prompto was a Lucian.   
Noct had said it himself. The guys were his friends, no – more than his friends, they were his family.   
And maybe Cor could be family too. 

He managed to calm down after a while and glanced at the clock next to the window.   
It was almost five now.   
He texted Iris and asked her if she could come over in the morning to look after Cor. Someone should stay with him while Prompto was out participating in the hunts for him. Then he tried to rest as best as he could without neither blanket nor pillow and his timer waking him up every thirty minutes. 

It was about half past eight when someone knocked on the door.   
Prompto only opened one eye halfway, not sure if he actually heard something or not.   
He was so tired it wouldn't surprise him if he was imagining things by now.   
A few seconds passed and it knocked again, louder this time.   
Prompto scrambled to his feet as fast as he could, almost tripping over in the process.   
He put on his glasses and went for the door. 

That must be one of the glaives that came with the group from Old Lestallum.   
There were only seven glaives that had survived the fall of Insomnia , for of them were women, the rest were men.   
Prompto knew them all by name even if they hadn't talked much yet, but he liked them all. When he opened the door now he was surprised.   
So surprised that he was frozen to the spot for a second.   
He had expected one of the four girls.   
This wasn't one of the girls.   
This was Vennix.   
Aka the supermodel glaive that practically everyone was after.   
And he smiled at him. 

“Prompto, right?”, he asked and the blond could only nod.  
All of a sudden he was aware of what he must look like and tried hard to fight back the blush creeping up on his neck and face.   
“Ignis gave me some stuff for you. There's some tea, medicine and some herbs I think. Oh and Gladio put some Cup Noodles in there.”   
Prompto couldn't help but grin for a second.   
“Thank you”, he said and took the bag that Vennix held out to him.   
“No big deal”, the glaive assured him and smiled and Prompto wasn't sure if he could fight his blush any longer.   
“Hey, umm, I'll be taking Cor's place in today's hunts. Could you tell the others?”   
“Sure. Then I'll see you later. At one down at the gas station.”   
Prompto nodded.   
“Right, one o'clock at the gas station, got it.”   
“Very well, tell the marshal to get well soon, yeah?”   
“Yeah, of course.”   
“Great. See you later then!”   
Vennix gave him a small wave and smiled again before disappearing down the hallway and Prompto was relieved when he could hide behind the door. 

“Damn it, Prom. Keep yourself together!”, he scolded himself. “This isn't the time to get flustered because of that stupidly attractive glaive that everyone has the hot's for.”   
He unpacked the bag on the kitchen counter and looked everything over.   
Everything he needed was there plus the Cup Noodles Gladio had given him.   
There was a small note attached to it and Prompto read it over. 

“Technically this is chicken noodle soup and I've heard that it's supposed to help, so yeah. Hope this helps a bit.” 

Prompto grinned and shook his head but Gladio was probably right.   
A second later it knocked again but when Prompto opened the door this time he was glad to see Iris standing there.   
“Hey, I came as soon as I read your text”, she said and greeted him with a warm hug. “Is he okay?”   
“He sleeps now, it's been a tough night for him”, Prompto answered and yawned. “Do me a favour and make him some of the tea that's on the counter? Make sure he drinks it while it's still warm. And give him some of the medicine too, Iggy got it for him. I'll take his place in the hunts today and I'd like to rest a bit before heading out.”   
“Sure, go get some sleep. If something changes I'll wake you up.”   
Iris smiled at him and walked over to the bed.   
Prompto yawned again and made himself comfortable on the couch.   
As soon as he'd set his alarm he fell asleep. 

 

He still felt tired as he walked down to the gas station a couple hours later.   
Cor's fever had gone down a little bit and he knew Iris took good care of him, so he could concentrate on his task.   
Once he spotted Vennix in the small group that was already there he wasn't so sure about that anymore.   
The glaive was talking to one of the hunters and Prompto couldn't help but look him up and down for a moment.   
Vennix was a handsome young man, twenty-six years old, about as tall as Ignis, with green eyes and a stupidly perfect full teeth grin. His black hair was cut short at the sides and was longer on top, resulting in a messy mohawk kind of style that suited him perfectly.   
Even the long scar on his cheek made him look attractive, not to mention his well trained body.   
Prompto shook his head and willed these thoughts to go away.   
This was not the time to think about that.   
He was here to replace Cor and the sooner they left the sooner they would be back again.   
Prompto took a deep breath and joined the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again and Prom goes full son mode, finally, wooooo!  
> Also: enter super hot model glaive everyone wants to get into bed with lolol  
> (on a serious note I hope you'll like Ven, there's a lot more to him than just good looks, I promise! :) )  
> Tbh I got a bit emotional while writing THE part of this chapter and I'm sorry I made Prom cry (again) but those were happy tears!!  
> Hope you liked it!!  
> Til next time!
> 
> Lucy x
> 
> (Next chapter: Cor, Iris and Prom watch tv (& I don't know what else yet, haven't really planned anything)


	10. The Calm

As soon as Prompto opened the door to his room a couple of hours later he let out a long sigh.   
He hadn't even closed the door, when he heard Iris call “Are you alright? You sound like something happened.”   
Prompto sighed again and shrugged out of his jacket after putting his weapons away.   
“It's fine, I just made a complete fool of myself. Otherwise I'm good, no one got hurt.”   
He wasn't sure if he heard Iris chuckle at his words or not, so he just shrugged to himself and went over to the fridge. 

On his short way there he spotted Iris and Cor on the couch watching a DVD.   
Cor was completely wrapped in a blanket and looked drowsy but he wasn't as near as pale as he'd been when Prompto left.   
Prompto shot them an affectionate smile before opening the small fridge.   
He made a surprised sound and looked up and down the shelves when he couldn't find the plate with his leftovers.   
“Are you looking for the dinner from last night?”, Iris asked, sounding a little hesitant. “If so, I'm sorry, but I've eaten the rest of it.”   
“Huh?!”   
Prompto turned around with a scandalized look on his face, Iris couldn't help but laugh guiltily while rubbing her neck.   
“Sorry Prom, but it was just too good!” 

The blond whined for a moment before he slowly padded over to the couch.   
“Damn, I was so excited for this dinner”, he murmured and glanced at the TV.   
His eyes widened when he recognized the show.   
“You've been watching Friends without me?! I can't believe you did this!”   
“Oh Prom, quit complaining. Just go get a hot shower and then come back and join us”, Iris answered.   
She sounded annoyed but her gaze was soft and Prompto smiled lightly at her.   
“Alright”, he said. “I'll be right there.” 

As it turned out the hot shower had been a good idea and the blond actually felt relaxed for the first time in about twenty-four hours.   
Afterwards he quickly threw on some comfy clothes and went back to the main room. Prom grabbed his pillow from the bed and then cuddled up next to Iris on the couch.   
She chuckled when he let out a content sigh and leaned his head on her shoulder. 

They watched two episodes in relative silence only giggling and exchanging a couple of sentences from time to time.   
At one point Cor piped up from the corner of the couch and asked if he could have the cup noodles now.   
Prompto was glad that Cor was at least a little hungry now and got up to boil some water. He filled the cup with the water once it was ready and gave it to Cor as soon as it had cooled down a bit.   
Cor thanked him quietly and the two kids kept an eye on him while he was eating slowly.

He made it through half the cup, then he wasn't hungry anymore.   
Prompto made them all a cup of peppermint tea, ate the rest of the cup noodles himself and soon they were all huddled together on the couch.   
They made it through one more episode - one of the thanksgiving ones - before Cor started dozing off. 

“Were there any problems while I was out earlier?”, Prompto asked quietly.   
“No, everything was fine”, Iris answered. “He was a little grumpy at first but he gave up on it as soon as I pointed it out.”   
Prompto chuckled quietly.   
“Cor? Grumpy? That's nothing new to me”, he added.   
“But what about you? You said you made a fool of yourself? What happened?” 

Prompto groaned at the question.   
“Please don't remind me. It was horrible. And it was in front of Ven too!”   
“Ven? You mean Vennix? The model glaive?” Iris raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. Prompto groaned again.   
“Don't tell me you think he's attractive too.”   
“Prom, correct me if I'm wrong but I think everyone who has eyes thinks he's attractive.” “Fair point”, he admitted.   
“So, wanna tell me what happened?”   
“You're enjoying this way to much, Iris.”   
“That's not true! Besides you embarrassing yourself is nothing new.”   
“Well, thank you very much.”   
Iris just smiled at him and he sighed. 

“Well, it happened mid-fight. One of the beast's tail struck me in the back and practically flew forward. I tried not to fall but I tripped and would've crashed face first into a massive rock if Ven hadn't been there to catch me. It was awful Iris and by awful I mean good but so embarrassing. I don't even know how he did it, all I know is that I was suddenly squished against his chest and and I'm pretty sure I blushed so hard he could see it in the dark.”   
Iris giggled and leaned closer to him.   
“Aww, don't worry. I bet he thought it looked cute.”   
Prompto couldn't help but laugh quietly.   
“No, I mean it!”, Iris exclaimed. “You do look cute when you get flustered.”   
Prompto looked at her for a moment, before looking at his hands.   
“You... you think so?”   
Iris' smile got wider.   
“See, you're doing it again”, she teased but she sounded genuine.   
Prompto tried to hide his smile and they stayed close to each other for a moment. 

“Hey, what do you say, we get Cor into bed and then watch another episode?”, Iris asked. “Yeah, okay”, the blond agreed.   
They both got up and gently shook Cor awake so they could walk him back to bed.   
The marshal was still a little groggy but as soon as he was tucked into bed he only took a moment to fall asleep.   
Prompto put a hand on his forehead for a second and nodded satisfied. The fever had gone down further and he didn't feel too hot anymore.   
“Just call us if you need something”, Prompto whispered. 

But as soon as he straightened his back pain shot through him for a second and he winced quietly.   
He hoped Iris didn't notice but of course she did.   
“Hey, are you alright?”, she asked.   
“Yeah, I just think that's from that beast that attacked me”, he answered.   
“Come on, let me take a look at it.” 

They went back to the couch and Prompto put on another episode before pulling his shirt up so Iris could see where the daemon had hit him.   
“Oh that looks painful”, she said when he revealed the large bruise forming across his back. “It's not bleeding, is it?”, he asked and tried to take a look over his shoulder.   
“No, it's not. But I think we should put some of that medicine on it, so it'll heal faster. You know the cream that Ignis uses all the time on his and Gladio's wounds.”   
“Yeah, we have some of that left. It's in the bathroom.”   
Iris went to grab it and was back a moment later. 

“I can't believe you didn't say something when you came back”, she scolded him as she carefully put the cream on the red and swollen skin. “Doesn't it hurt?”   
“I have pretty high pain tolerance”, Prompto answered. “Remember when I fractured the bone near my ankle? I thought I just pulled a muscle until Cor pointed out that it was something more serious and treated me.”   
“Has it always been like this?”, Iris wanted to know.   
“Yeah, I guess”, Prompto said and thought for a moment. “It baffled Ignis too when he first witnessed it.”   
“Just be careful okay? Someday it might be something serious and you don't realize it. Do me a favour and always get stuff like this checked out, okay?”   
Prompto nodded.   
“Okay, I'll do from now on”, he promised.   
Iris smiled and they both were quiet until she was done. 

“It'd be best if you pull off your shirt completely otherwise it'll just stick to your skin”, she advised him.   
The blond nodded again and got rid of his shirt.   
“What do you say? One more episode and then we hit the hay too?”, he asked.   
“Sounds good to me.”   
Prompto tried to find a comfortable position but every time his back would touch the couch.   
“Damn, I'll just get off all the medicine like this”, he mumbled.   
Iris sat in the corner, put a pillow beside her and waved him over.   
“Just lay on your stomach and try to get comfortable”, she said.   
Prompto did as he was told and soon he felt relaxed again.   
“Okay, I'm ready now”, he stated and cuddled a bit closer to Iris. 

They looked for another episode and decided for one that sounded funny.   
They both tried to be quiet for Cor's sake but Prompto laughed so hard at one of Joey's bad jokes he had tears in his eyes and soon Iris was pretty much the same cause it was so funny how Prompto tried to stay quiet through it all.   
They were still giggling as the episode was over and Iris ruffled Prompto's blond hair.

“You know you're a bit like Chandler”, she said after a moment and Prompto looked up at her.   
“Huh? What do you mean?”   
He sounded confused.   
“Well, you're a little socially awkward and you tell bad jokes a lot.”   
Prompto opened his mouth to protest but he had to admit that Iris was right, at least for the most part.   
“Well, I think there's a bit of Joey in me too. Can't resist some good food and if I wasn't so clumsy when I flirt, I'd probably have succeeded by now”, he added.   
“Maybe”, Iris answered with a smile. “But you're great the way you are.”   
Prompto's blue eyes met her dark ones and he smiled softly. 

“It means a lot that you're saying that”, he admitted after a moment.   
She just smiled wider and pressed a light kiss to his forehead.   
“It's true though.”   
A moment later she let out a long yawn.   
“Sorry, I'm a little tired.”   
“You've been here since this morning”, Prompto answered. “I can't blame you. Let's get you back to your room.”   
They got up and made sure Cor was sleeping peacefully before leaving the room. 

“You really don't have to walk me those two floors to my room”, Iris noted but she smiled nonetheless.   
“I may be a bit of a Chandler but I sure am a gentleman!”   
“That's true!”   
The way really wasn't long and only a minute later they reached Iris' room.   
“Thanks again for keeping an eye on Cor while I was gone”, the blond said. “And thanks for looking after me as well.”   
He started rubbing the back of his neck and smiled shyly.   
“No big deal”, Iris laughed. “And now go back down before someone sees you running around half naked.”   
She poked him in the chest and grinned.   
“You don't seem to complain about it”, Prompto stated before he could think about it but went beet red when he realized what he just said. 

“A-Ah... I'm sorry Iris! I-I didn't mean to...”   
To his surprise she only chuckled quietly.   
“That almost was the Joey level of flirting, I'm impressed. And you're cute when you're embarrassed”, she mumbled and Prompto was taken by surprise when she gave him a small kiss near the mouth.   
“Good night, Prom. Call me in the morning and tell me how Cor's doing, alright?”   
The blond managed to nod.   
“Yeah, sure. Good night, Iris.” 

She smiled at him one last time before disappearing behind her door.   
Prompto couldn't believe that this just happened.   
Gladio would probably kill him if he ever found out.   
He grinned from ear to ear while walking back to his own room. 

~

The next weeks went by in a blur.   
As soon as Cor was fit again Prompto started his training where he'd left off.   
He made more progress now and the reason for that – and he was one hundred percent sure of this – was because the bond between Cor and him was stronger now.   
Prompto never forgot the words Cor had said to him the first night he'd been sick, that he thought of him as his son. 

But sometimes when he thought back to that night he felt at unease.   
In the quiet moments he spent alone all his doubts came back at once.   
Maybe Cor didn't remember the words. What if the fever had made him say it? Did he even say the truth?   
He never showed any indications of remembering what he said that night and Prompto didn't dare to ask him.   
The nights where he missed Noctis too were the worst.   
Luckily there were only a few of them. 

His weeks consisted of training and hunting mostly until they got closer to the date when they'd finally go back to the Formouth base.   
They met up with everyone who'd go with the group and discussed their plans.   
It took about a week of intense preparation and they were glad they got all the weapons out of the armiger now, they would need them. 

Three out of the seven glaives would be going with them, Makoto, Sol and Mini.   
Makoto was the leader of the small group and she was an extremely skilled fighter.   
When Prompto had met her for the first time he'd thought she resembled Aranea quite a lot.   
Long silver hair, sharp tongue and she also was a lance wielder like her.   
Ignis had given her one of his weapons after they'd summoned Gentiana and they'd been good friends since then.   
But she was a reasonable human being and definitely the right person to lead the glaives.

Mini – no one actually knew his real name – was way too much of a whirlwind and maybe a bit crazy too.   
He was the youngest of the team, only twenty two years old and only 5'2 ft tall. He had caramel – coloured hair and a wild fighting style, Prompto had witnessed it a couple of times and Mini seemed to be intoxicated every time he was allowed to fight.   
Nothing could stop him once he started. 

Sol was pretty much the opposite of him. He was a tall man with short bronze hair and glasses.  
Sol was shy but very much a genius when it came to planning stuff. He was a good fighter too but more of a tactical man actually.   
He and Ignis could discuss for hours without getting tired and Sol had been a vital part in making this mission possible. 

Prompto was almost excited for it. He knew it'd be dangerous but he wasn't worried about something going horribly wrong.   
They'd prepared for this.   
They could do this. 

~

The mission had gone well.   
No one got injured badly and they managed to fight off every daemon that crossed their path.   
They'd retrieved everything useful: spare parts they'd found lying around, magitech weapons that had been left behind, just anything that could be used in some way.   
The one thing that had concerned them was the way the daemons behaved. 

Some of them started showing sings of intelligence and started attacking in groups or packs.   
Prompto didn't know what to think of it at first but it was only natural that every species learned and changed their behaviour based on their experiences, right?   
Daemons were no exception.   
Most of them had been humans or animals before and Prompto couldn't believe that the starscourge turned them into brainless monsters.   
It couldn't be.   
He had seen it when they'd fought Ravus back in Gralea. 

Sure, he'd fought them with everything he had and it'd been a hard fight but Prompto would never forget how Ravus had begged them to kill him before he'd lost all control.   
It was unsettling to know that even daemons advanced but they could withstand them. That's what they'd all thought.   
At least until a couple of weeks later. 

Until a group of their strongest hunters found themselves trapped on a stone platform with enemies surrounding them. A 40 ft drop behind them made it impossible to escape.   
At the bottom of the drop was a large rocky area surrounded by more daemons and a terrifying kaiser behemoth that was hardly visible in the dark. 

But Prompto recognized the roars and his blood ran cold.   
Hundreds of pairs of glowing eyes were staring at him and his comrades.  
He felt the tension in the air and the fear of everyone around him.   
There was no way they would get out of this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I don't know why this took me so long, probably because it's pretty much a filler chapter and stuff's about to happen in the next one!  
> Anyway, who doesn't love Iris & Prom care for their adoptive dad and have some bonding time on their own?  
> Also lots of Friends references in here cause I've been watching it again!  
> Hope you liked it!  
> Stay tuned for the next one and be prepared!  
> Lucy x
> 
> Next one: Prom has some surprises up his sleeve, Gladio has got to make a decision and more glaives will appear!

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo this is the first chapter of my first fic on here, yay!  
> The basic idea for this fic has been stuck with me for a while now so I decided to write it down  
> This fic will mainly focus on Prompto and Cor, but I'm planning on making this a series and part two will most likely focus on Ignis and Gladio but we'll talk about this when I get there!  
> On a side note: English isn't my first language so if you happen to find a mistake i'd be nice if you could tell me :)  
> Have a great day y'all! <3


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